Brivaracetam to Reduce Neuropathic Pain in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

September 25, 2025 updated by: University of Minnesota

Brivaracetam to Reduce Neuropathic Pain in Chronic SCI: A Pilot Clinical Trial

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with severe neuropathic pain that is often refractory to all pharmacological intervention. Preliminary data suggest brivarecetum is a mechanism-based pharmacological intervention for neuropathic pain in SCI. This randomized, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial will assess feasibility of a 3-month treatment course with brivarecetum.

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

The investigations will assess changes in pain intensity and periaqueductal gray hyperactivity. Baseline periaqueductal gray hyperactivity and microRNA levels will be measured as potential biomarkers of response to treatment. These preliminary findings will be used to design larger clinical trials to establish efficacy of brivarecetum to treat neuropathic pain in SCI.

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.
24

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.
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 1

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
    • Colorado
      • Englewood, Colorado, United States, 80113
        • Swedish Hospital
    • Minnesota
      • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55455
        • University of Minnesota School of Medicine

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

14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Spinal cord injury (SCI)
  • Participants must have completed inpatient rehabilitation and are living in the community
  • Participant who have severe below-level neuropathic pain (daily average 9/10 or 10/10)
  • Participants must have tried and failed to achieve adequate pain relief with the use of other drugs (i.e treatment failed to decrease their pain below a level of 9) and can continue to take spasmolytics, pregabalin, gabapentin, and opioids in unchanged dosing throughout the trial

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pprogressive myelopathy secondary to posttraumatic cord tethering
  • Syringomyelia
  • Brain injury limiting the ability to follow directions
  • Pregnancy or lactation
  • Epilepsy
  • Impaired liver or renal function
  • Contraindications to brivaracetam or pyrrolidine derivatives including allergy, or contraindications to MRI including retained bullet fragments, noncompatible metal implants, and implanted devices such as baclofen pumps

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

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: Brivaracetam Group
Participants in this arm will receive the investigational drug, Brivaracetam.
Drug: Brivaracetam
Escalating brivaracetam dose to 150 mg twice daily for 3 months
Other Names:
  • Briviact
Placebo Comparator: Control Group
Participants in this arm will receive a placebo.
Other: Placebo
Placebo twice daily for 3 months

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
Brief Pain Inventory, Worst Pain
Time Frame: baseline
The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) contains 11 numeric rating scales that measure pain intensity and the effect of the pain on a participant's ability to function during various activities of daily living. Each of the 11 scales is rated from 0 (no pain/does not interfere) to 10 (severe pain/completely interferes). Total scores range from 0-110, with higher scores indicating greater pain and interference on daily activities.
baseline
Brief Pain Inventory, Worst Pain
Time Frame: 3 months
The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) contains 11 numeric rating scales that measure pain intensity and the effect of the pain on a participant's ability to function during various activities of daily living. Each of the 11 scales is rated from 0 (no pain/does not interfere) to 10 (severe pain/completely interferes). Total scores range from 0-110, with higher scores indicating greater pain and interference on daily activities.
3 months
Brief Pain Inventory, Least Pain
Time Frame: baseline
The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) contains 11 numeric rating scales that measure pain intensity and the effect of the pain on a participant's ability to function during various activities of daily living. Each of the 11 scales is rated from 0 (no pain/does not interfere) to 10 (severe pain/completely interferes). Total scores range from 0-110, with higher scores indicating greater pain and interference on daily activities.
baseline
Brief Pain Inventory, Least Pain
Time Frame: 3 months
The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) contains 11 numeric rating scales that measure pain intensity and the effect of the pain on a participant's ability to function during various activities of daily living. Each of the 11 scales is rated from 0 (no pain/does not interfere) to 10 (severe pain/completely interferes). Total scores range from 0-110, with higher scores indicating greater pain and interference on daily activities.
3 months
Brief Pain Inventory, Average Pain
Time Frame: baseline
The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) contains 11 numeric rating scales that measure pain intensity and the effect of the pain on a participant's ability to function during various activities of daily living. Each of the 11 scales is rated from 0 (no pain/does not interfere) to 10 (severe pain/completely interferes). Total scores range from 0-110, with higher scores indicating greater pain and interference on daily activities.
baseline
Brief Pain Inventory, Average Pain
Time Frame: 3 months
The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) contains 11 numeric rating scales that measure pain intensity and the effect of the pain on a participant's ability to function during various activities of daily living. Each of the 11 scales is rated from 0 (no pain/does not interfere) to 10 (severe pain/completely interferes). Total scores range from 0-110, with higher scores indicating greater pain and interference on daily activities.
3 months
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)
Time Frame: baseline
The satisfaction with life scale contains 5 items designed to measure global cognitive judgments of life satisfaction. Each of the 5 items is rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Total scores range from 5 to 35, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction with life.
baseline
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)
Time Frame: 3 months
The satisfaction with life scale contains 5 items designed to measure global cognitive judgments of life satisfaction. Each of the 5 items is rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Total scores range from 5 to 35, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction with life.
3 months

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
Change in Periaqueductal Gray Activity
Time Frame: baseline, 3 months
Periaqueductal gray activity is measured by fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). Outcome is reported as the change in bold signal (a unitless measure) in the targeted area.
baseline, 3 months

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
miRNA in Treatment Group
Time Frame: baseline
Outcome reported as the mean number of copies of the target miRNA at baseline.
baseline

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 Minnesota

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.
  • Study Director: Leslie Morse, DO, University of Minnesota
  • Principal Investigator: Scott Falci, MD, Swedish Hospital

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.
February 1, 2021

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.
March 31, 2024

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.
September 1, 2024

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).
May 4, 2020

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.
May 4, 2020

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.
May 7, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

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.
October 14, 2025

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.
September 25, 2025

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.
September 1, 2025

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.
  • Morse

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

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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