Effects of Photobiomodulation on Superficial Sensitivity and Muscle Activity of Individuals With Myelomeningocele

July 26, 2019 updated by: Sandra Kalil Bussadori, University of Nove de Julho

EVALUATION OF THE SENSORY-MOTOR RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH MYELOMENINGOCELE FOLLOWING TREATMENT WITH PHOTOBIOMODULATION

Myelomeningocele is a neural tube defect that occurs between the third and fourth week of gestation. Functional impairment occurs due to dysplasia of the nerve roots, which can lead to flaccid paralysis and sensory-motor dysfunction below the level of the lesion. Although advances in the multidisciplinary treatment of myelomeningocele have led to functional improvements in affected children, novel therapeutic modalities, such as photobiomodulation (PBM), could be a promising complement to treatment. Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of PBM combined with physiotherapeutic exercises on the sensory-motor response in individuals with myelomeningocele at the lower lumbar and sacral level. Participants will be recruited from the Integrated Health Clinic of University Nove de Julho and randomized into two groups: Grupo 1 - treatment with PBM at a wavelength of 808 nm + physical therapy; Grupo 2 - sham PBM + physical therapy. Evaluations will involve electromyography of the gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior and rectus femoris muscles of both lower limbs. Balance will be evaluated using the Pediatric Balance Scale. The sensory evaluation will be performed using the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament kit (Smiles®). BDNF levels will be determined using ELISA. The data will be analyzed with the aid of GraphPad PRISM version 7.0. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test will be used to determine the normality of the data. Variables that fit the Gaussian curve will be expressed as mean and standard deviation values. The t-test will be used for the comparisons between groups, with the level of significance set to 95% (p < 0.05).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Unknown

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

5 years to 16 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 5 to 16 years;
  • diagnosis of myelomeningocele on the lower lumbar and sacral level;
  • community ambulator;
  • score above the cutoff point for age on the Mini Mental State Examination.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Cognitive impairment that compromises the ability to communicate and answer the questions that will be posed;
  • allergy to latex; - manifestations secondary to MMC, such as hydrocephalus;
  • congenital club foot; neuromuscular scoliosis;
  • subluxation or luxation of hip and knee;
  • other disease of the central nervous system, neoplasms, heart failure, renal, respiratory, hepatic.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: PBM + physiotherapy exercises

will be submitted to active PBM and physiotherapeutic exercises.

For irradiation, the individuals will be positioned comfortably in lateral decubitus on the examining table. Three points will be irradiated at the lesion level with a wavelength of 808 nm, 25 J per point for 12 sessions. The same laser device (Laser DMC Therapy EC).

Physical therapy will occur twice per week after PBM for six weeks. Static balance exercises will be performed with the feet together and tandem on a variety of different surfaces (hard surface, foam rubber and carpets with different textures) and sensory inputs (eyes open and closed). Dynamic balance exercises will involve walking forward and backward on firm and foam surfaces and circumventing obstacles. Muscle strengthening exercises, squatting and changing postural positions will also be performed. All activities will be in the form of play to maintain the children's interest
Device: Low level laser therapy

For the PBM protocol, articles of interest were identified through analyses of titles and abstracts. Articles addressing PBM in experimental models or clinical trials of spinal cord injuries were included and articles not pertinent to the proposed study were excluded. Next, the selected articles were analyzed and used for the creation of an initial protocol (Table 1).

For irradiation, the individuals will be positioned comfortably in lateral decubitus on the examining table. Three points will be irradiated above the lesion level, which will be located using an imaging exam brought by the guardian on the day of the evaluation. After determining the lesion level, palpation of the transverse processes of the vertebrae will be performed. The same laser device (Laser DMC Therapy EC) will be used for both groups. For the placebo group, the device will emit sound but not light.
Sham Comparator: SHAM PBM + physiotherapy exercises

will be submitted to sham PBM and physiotherapeutic exercises.

For irradiation sham, the individuals will be positioned comfortably in lateral decubitus on the examining table. The same laser device (Laser DMC Therapy EC) will be used but the device will emit sound but not light.

Physical therapy will occur twice per week after PBM for six weeks. Static balance exercises will be performed with the feet together and tandem on a variety of different surfaces (hard surface, foam rubber and carpets with different textures) and sensory inputs (eyes open and closed). Dynamic balance exercises will involve walking forward and backward on firm and foam surfaces and circumventing obstacles. Muscle strengthening exercises, squatting and changing postural positions will also be performed. All activities will be in the form of play to maintain the children's interest
Device: Low level laser therapy

For the PBM protocol, articles of interest were identified through analyses of titles and abstracts. Articles addressing PBM in experimental models or clinical trials of spinal cord injuries were included and articles not pertinent to the proposed study were excluded. Next, the selected articles were analyzed and used for the creation of an initial protocol (Table 1).

For irradiation, the individuals will be positioned comfortably in lateral decubitus on the examining table. Three points will be irradiated above the lesion level, which will be located using an imaging exam brought by the guardian on the day of the evaluation. After determining the lesion level, palpation of the transverse processes of the vertebrae will be performed. The same laser device (Laser DMC Therapy EC) will be used for both groups. For the placebo group, the device will emit sound but not light.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Assessment of muscle activity
Time Frame: 10 minutes
Electromyography (EMG) will be performed with the EMG System®. The participants will be placed on an examining table and the skin will be cleaned with tissues soaked in alcohol for the placement of the markers. Disposable self-adhesive Ag/AgCl surface electrodes (Noraxon) measuring 10 mm in diameter will be attached to the belly of the lateral gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior and rectus femoris muscles on both lower limbs to capture the EMG signals. A reference electrode will be placed on the left wrist of the volunteers to impede interference of external noise
10 minutes
Sensory evaluation - monofilaments
Time Frame: 10 minutes
The sensory evaluation will be performed using the Semmes-Weinstein kit (Smiles®), which is a set of six nylon monofilaments of the same length that exert force on the specific area tested. Each monofilament has a different color and diameter: green (0.05 g), blue (0.2 g), violet (2 g), red (4 g), orang (10 g) and magenta (300 g). The score ranges from seven (green monofilament) to 1 (magenta monofilament). The test will be performed on the following dermatomes: L1, L2, L4, L5, S1, S2 and S3.
10 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Evaluation of balance
Time Frame: 10 minutos
Balance will be evaluated using the Pediatric Balance Scale, which consists of 14 items scored from 0 to 4 points. The maximum score is 56, with higher scores denoting better balance.
10 minutos
Analysis expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
Time Frame: 10 minutes

BDNF be quantified in saliva samples from the participants using ELISA MAX HUMAN kits (BioLegend), which contain capture and detection antibodies for the precise quantification of each cytokine. All kits will be used following the manufacturer's instructions. The optical density of the samples will be measured in a spectrophotometer at 450 nm.

Collection of saliva
10 minutes
Analysis expression Interleukin-10 (IL-10)
Time Frame: 10 minutes
IL-10 will be quantified in saliva samples from the participants using ELISA MAX HUMAN kits (BioLegend), which contain capture and detection antibodies for the precise quantification of each cytokine. All kits will be used following the manufacturer's instructions. The optical density of the samples will be measured in a spectrophotometer at 450 nm.
10 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Nove de Julho

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Anticipated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 2, 2019

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 1, 2020

Study Completion (Anticipated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 3, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 24, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 26, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 29, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 29, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 26, 2019

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • MieloTamiris

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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