Human Pain Atlas for Sensory Neurons
ConditionChronic Pain
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age18-75
SponsorKing's College Hospital NHS Trust
About this trial
This study aims to improve our understanding of how the nerves that detect and transmit pain signals work in humans. Chronic pain affects millions of people worldwide and can be difficult to treat because the biological mechanisms underlying pain are not yet fully understood. By gaining a better understanding of the human pain system, this research may help guide the development of more effective and personalised treatments for chronic pain in the future.
The study will investigate sensory neurons, which are specialised nerve cells that detect sensations such as touch, temperature, and injury. We will examine both how these nerve cells respond to stimulation and the genes they express. By linking the activity of individual nerve cells with their molecular characteristics, we hope to identify specific types of sensory neurons that may contribute to chronic pain conditions.
To achieve this, we will use a technique called microneurography. This involves inserting a very fine recording electrode into a peripheral nerve to measure the activity of individual nerve fibres directly in the body. These recordings will be performed in healthy volunteers and in patients. The information obtained will be combined with laboratory-based studies conducted by collaborators in Germany and France, allowing us to relate detailed biological findings to the experience of pain in humans.
The results of this research will provide a detailed map of the human sensory nervous system and improve our understanding of how pain-signalling neurons function in health and disease. This knowledge may support the development of future treatments for chronic pain.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Between 18 and 75 years of age.
Male and female.
In the capacity to understand and sign an Informed Consent Form.
Willing and able to comply with scheduled visits and study procedures.
Disqualifiers
Previous diagnosis of an established autoimmune condition or dermatological conditions affecting skin afferents (e.g. psoriasis, lupus, vitiligo, dermatitis…).
Application of local anaesthetics or steroid injections within 35 days prior to the microneurography visit.
Unsuitable anatomy of the superficial peroneal nerve (i.e. nerve cannot be seen or palpated at the dorsum of the foot/ankle)
Infection, disease (dermatologic or vascular), ongoing pain or recent trauma or surgery that may affect study assessments.
Trial population
100 patients with ongoing neuropathic pain in the context of a possible small fibre neuropathy or C-fibre dysfunction. 100 healthy volunteers.
Trial design
Design model
Other
Time perspective
Prospective
Treatments tested in this trial
Microneurography
Diagnostic testElectrophysiological technique that can record action potentials from individual peripheral nerve axons in humans. The test will be used to identify/rule out small nerve fibre dysfunction and measures of axonal excitability.
Treatment groups
200 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Chronic pain1 intervention
Group B: Healthy volunteers1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Assessment of molecular and functional mechanisms underlying chronic neuropathic pain
To refine neuron subtype classifications by developing new stimulation paradigms for precise classification of neuronal subgroups involved in chronic pain. To specify underlying mechanisms of the unmyelinated axonal membrane excitability.
Time frame
Day 1Secondary outcomes
1
To bridge basic and clinical research
To integrate preclinical data (Patch-seq, long-read sequencing) with clinical data (microneurography) to accelerate the translation of research into personalised pain management strategies.
Time frame
Day 12
Chronic pain database
To build a database of 100 patients with neuropathic pain due to small fibre neuropathy using the pre-identified electrophysiological profiles.
Time frame
Day 1Locations
Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Source ClinicalTrials.gov
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: