Respiratory-Gated Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Pain

August 30, 2022 updated by: Robert Edwards, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) is a validated and FDA-approved therapy that has improved the lives of many individuals with epilepsy and depression and has shown promise for treating chronic pain. However, there is moderate morbidity associated with the surgical procedure and maintenance of VNS. The study team has developed a novel, non-invasive procedure based on the neurobiology of VNS treatment which is termed Respiratory-gated Auricular Vagal Afferent Nerve Stimulation (RAVANS). The investigators hope to maximize efficacy and better understand applicability of RAVANS by applying this to chronic pain patients with a range of psychiatric and psychological comorbidity. This high-distress subpopulation of chronic pain patients has been notoriously difficult to treat and is in need of new, innovative therapies. The investigators propose applying electrical stimulation of the somatosensory vagal afferent receptors in the ear using transcutaneous-VNS (t-VNS) during the exhalation phase of breathing in order to augment the clinical efficacy of t-VNS.

This proposal includes a single blinded, controlled design for testing the impact of RAVANS therapy on pain and mood fro chronic pain. Patients will complete 2 in-person visits, one with RAVANS therapy and one with non-RAVANS stimulation. During each session, participants will complete questionnaires, quantitative sensory testing (QST), and receive either real or sham RAVANS stimulation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

Detailed Description

Testing will occur over the course of 2 2-3 hour study visits. After completing consent forms, participants will complete questionnaires and undergo baseline Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST). After baseline sensory testing and completion of measures, participants will complete a 30-minute rest period during which time they are instructed to relax and regulate their breathing. After the rest, they will receive a 30-minute RAVANS or non-RAVANS stimulation. Following the RAVANS stimulation, participants will again undergo QST testing. Throughout the session, subjects will rate pain and mood using numeric rating scales and physiological monitoring will occur as described below.

RAVANS stimulation Electrodes will be placed in the auricle of the left ear. Electrical stimulation to these electrodes will be provided by a current-constant stimulator (Urostim, Schwa-Medico). Stimulation will be gated, with 1-second delay, after peak inhalation (i.e. during exhalation). Respiratory gating for stimulation will require real-time evaluation of the respiratory cycle. The study will use a belt system constructed in-house, and similar to the system used in several previous studies. A pneumatic belt will be placed around the subject's lower thorax. Once electrodes are set up, subjects will be asked to rate stimulation intensity on a NRS of 0 to 10 (0: no sensation, 10: pain detection threshold). Current intensity will be set to achieve moderate to strong (but not painful) sensation, and this current intensity will be used on subsequent stimulation runs.

Non-RAVANS stimulation For sessions randomized to sham stimulation, the electrodes in the ear will remain as described above, but the leads will be disconnected from the stimulator. Subjects will be instructed that for this session they may or may not feel pulsing in their ear, and that the goal is to ensure that the stimulus was not painful.

Physiological Monitoring In addition to respiration, which by necessity will be monitored with the pneumatic belt as part of the RAVANS procedure, the investigators will also collect ECG data. The ECG signal will also be acquired by a laptop device system, temporally locked to the respiratory signal. The ECG can be used to quantify heart rate and heart rate variability.

Sensory Tests to be Completed at Baseline and After Experimental Condition:

These procedures are similar to those used in ongoing QST studies (e.g., IRB protocols 2009P001020, 2010P000978, 2015P002373).

Mechanical pain: Responses to punctate mechanical stimuli will be measured using a standard set of weighted probes that provide estimates of pain threshold and mechanical temporal summation. Series of 10 stimuli (with 1-second inter-stimulus intervals) will be used to assess the temporal summation of pain that occurs with rapid administration of identical stimuli. A Somedic pressure algometer will be utilized to assess responses to pressure stimulation at several anatomical sites. Pain pressure thresholds (PPT) will be determined twice at the knee, trapezius, and thumb. Mechanical pressure will be applied using a 0.5-cm2 probe covered with 1mm polypropylene pressure-transducing material; pressure is increased at a steady rate of 30 kPA/s until the subject indicates that the pressure has become painful. Finally, the study will use cuff algometry to assess responses to sustained mechanical pressure. A Hokanson rapid cuff inflator will be used to inflate a standard blood pressure cuff around the gastrocnemius muscle to a moderately painful level for up to 2 minutes. Participants will indicate when the pressure first becomes painful (i.e., pain threshold) and will provide pain ratings every 30 seconds. As with each of these psychophysical testing procedures, participants are informed that they may terminate the procedure at any time.

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 (Actual)

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.
19

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

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States, 02467
        • Robert Edwards

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

21 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. age 21-65.
  2. chronic pain lasting for more than 6 months as the primary complaint.
  3. typical pain ratings ≥ 3/10 on a visual analogue scale.
  4. able to speak and understand English.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. evidence of delirium, dementia, psychosis, or other cognitive impairment preventing completion of study procedures.
  2. history of cardiac or nervous system disease that, in the investigator's judgment, precludes participation in the study because of a heightened potential for adverse outcome.
  3. current peripheral neuropathy.
  4. current pregnancy, or intention to become pregnant during the study.

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: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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: RAVANS
Electrodes will be placed in the auricle of the left ear. Electrical stimulation to these electrodes will be provided by a current-constant stimulator (Urostim, Schwa-Medico). Stimulation will be gated, with 1-second delay, after peak inhalation (i.e. during exhalation). Respiratory gating for stimulation will require real-time evaluation of the respiratory cycle. The study will use a belt system constructed in-house, and similar to the system used in several previous studies. A pneumatic belt will be placed around the subject's lower thorax. Once electrodes are set up, subjects will be asked to rate stimulation intensity on a NRS of 0 to 10 (0: no sensation, 10: pain detection threshold). Current intensity will be set to achieve moderate to strong (but not painful) sensation, and this current intensity will be used on subsequent stimulation runs.
Device: RAVANS
Electrical stimulation of somatosensory vagal afferent receptors in the ear modulated by respiration.
Other Names:
  • Respiratory-gated Auricular Vagal Afferent Nerve Stimulation
Sham Comparator: non-RAVANS
For sessions randomized to sham stimulation, the electrodes in the ear will remain as described above, but the leads will be disconnected from the stimulator. Subjects will be instructed that for this session they may or may not feel pulsing in their ear, and that the goal is to ensure that the stimulus was not painful.
Device: RAVANS
Electrical stimulation of somatosensory vagal afferent receptors in the ear modulated by respiration.
Other Names:
  • Respiratory-gated Auricular Vagal Afferent Nerve Stimulation

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
Mechanical Temporal Summation
Time Frame: immediately post-RAVANS stimulation
Increases in pain with repeated mechanical stimulation
immediately post-RAVANS stimulation
Pressure Pain Sensitivity
Time Frame: immediately post-RAVANS stimulation
Thresholds for pressure pain assessed at several body sites
immediately post-RAVANS stimulation

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
Pain Severity
Time Frame: immediately post-RAVANS
Brief Pain Inventory
immediately post-RAVANS

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.
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Vitaly Napadow, Ph.D., MGH & BWH

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 (Actual)

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.
April 1, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

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.
August 1, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

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.
August 1, 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).
October 2, 2018

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.
August 9, 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.
August 12, 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.
August 31, 2022

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.
August 30, 2022

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.
August 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • RAVANS_PILOT

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

IPD Plan Description

No individual data will be shared.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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