Light Emitting Diode in the Treatment of Vulvodynia

August 19, 2024 updated by: Patricia Lordelo, Centro de Atenção ao Assoalho Pélvico

Light Emitting Diode in the Treatment of Vulvodynia: a Pilot Study

Vulvar pain can be related to a specific cause (inflammation, cancer, trauma, infection) or can be classified as vulvodynia, when vulvar pain is idiopathic and lasts for at least three months. The main symptoms reported are pain, burning, erythema, increased sensitivity, itching and burning, which affect the quality of life, psycho-emotional well-being, relationships and sexual function of these women. Photobiomodulation has been described in the literature as an alternative to treat pain. Our group has studied blue LED for some vulvovaginal dysfunctions and, due to the positive sensory effects observed in patients with vaginal stenosis and genitourinary syndrome of menopause, it is hypothesized that this technique could also bring beneficial effects for women with vulvodynia. A pilot study will be carried out, with descriptive data, with 10 women with vulvodynia. Participants will be evaluated with a basic anamnestic questionnaire and sociodemographic data. The following questionnaires will be used: Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Sexual Quotient - Female Version, Vulvar Pain Assessment Questionnaire. After answering the questionnaires, the volunteer will undergo a perineal physical assessment by an experienced physiotherapist, which includes a) inspection of the genital region, reflex tests, assessment of the functions of the pelvic floor muscles, b) the cotton swab test to evaluate painful sensitivity in the vestibule, c) the tampon test to evaluate painful sensitivity in the introitus and vaginal canal. Pain assessments will be quantified by the visual analogue pain scale (VAS), which ranges from 0 (no pain) to 10 (maximum pain). At the end of the treatment, the participant will answer the questionnaires again, undergo reassessment of pain sensitivity in vulva, introitus and vaginal canal, of the function of the pelvic floor muscles and will be asked "What is your perception of improvement" and "What is your level of satisfaction with the treatment?". The answers will be giving according to a Likert Scale of five points. The LED application protocol will be carried out with external use equipment model Antares, from the company IBRAMED (Amparo, São Paulo, Brazil), with a cluster G2 applicator. The power will be 450mW/cm2 and dose 5J/cm2 for 2 minutes and 13 seconds (automatic programming) in 450nm waves (blue wavelength). The treatment consists of eight sessions, carried out daily, except on weekends.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

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 (Estimated)

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.
10

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • Bahia
      • Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 40290000
        • Centro de Atenção ao assoalho pélvico
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • vulvodynia diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

  • patients diagnosed with vaginal infection
  • difficulty in understanding the proposed instruments
  • patients with chronic degenerative neurological diseases
  • pregnant women

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

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: Light-emitting diode
The LED application protocol will be carried out with external use equipment model Antares, from the company IBRAMED (Amparo, São Paulo, Brazil), with a cluster G2 applicator. The power will be 450mW/cm2 and dose 5J/cm2 for 2 minutes and 13 seconds (automatic programming) in 450nm waves (blue wavelength). The treatment consists of eight sessions, carried out daily, except on weekends. The patient will remain naked, in a closed room, in the lithotomy position on a gynecological table, in the presence of only a physiotherapist specializing in women's health, who will apply the light.
Device: Blue LED
The patient will remain naked, in a closed room, in the lithotomy position on a gynecological table, and he LED will be positioned in the direction of the patient's genitalia, keeping the internal and external vulvar lips open, so the LED can reach the largest possible region for therapeutic action.

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
Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events as assessed by Visual Analogue Scale.
Time Frame: During the all 8 sessions (daily), at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment) and one month after the end of the treatment.
To assess the safety of the treatment regarding the genital's sensation (burning, itching, pain) and genital's visual aspects (lesion, erosion, redness).
During the all 8 sessions (daily), at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment) and one month after the end of the treatment.
Tolerability of participants to the treatment assessed by Likert Scale.
Time Frame: During the all 8 sessions (daily) and at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment).
To assess the tolerability of the patient according to the Likert 5 Points Scale: very comfortable, comfortable, nor comfortable nor discomfortable, discomfortable, impossible to tolerate the treatment.
During the all 8 sessions (daily) and at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment).
Evaluate the clinical response assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale.
Time Frame: At the beginning of the treatment and at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment), 1, 3 and 6 months after the end treatment.
To assess the clinical effect of the treatment it will be used the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), which varies from 0 to 10. The pain will be assessed on the swab test and the tampon test in the genital area. Minimum decrease in 2 points on the VAS will be interpretated as clinical effect.
At the beginning of the treatment and at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment), 1, 3 and 6 months after the end treatment.
Evaluate the clinical response assessed by a questionnaire.
Time Frame: At the beginning of the treatment and at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment), 1, 3 and 6 months after the end treatment.
To assess the clinical effect of the treatment it will be used the Vulvar Pain Assessment Questionnaire: the higher the score, the greater the intensity of pain and impairment of the assessed domains.
At the beginning of the treatment and at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment), 1, 3 and 6 months after the end treatment.

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
Evaluate the sexual function of women with vulvodynia by Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI).
Time Frame: At the beginning of the treatment and at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment), 1, 3 and 6 months after the end of the treatment.
The FSFI has 19 items, the score varies from 2 to 36, and the cut-off point is 26, meaning that scores of 26 or less classify the patient as having sexual dysfunction.
At the beginning of the treatment and at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment), 1, 3 and 6 months after the end of the treatment.
Evaluate the sexual function of women with vulvodynia by Sexual Quotient - Female Version (SQ-FV).
Time Frame: At the beginning of the treatment and at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment), 1, 3 and 6 months after the end treatment.
The FQ-SV has 10 items and the score varies from 0 to 100. Higher values indicate better sexual performance/satisfaction. The score classification is 82-100 points: good to excellent; 62-80 points: regular to good; 42-60 points: unfavorable to fair; 22-40 points: poor to unfavorable; 0-20 points: nil to bad. A cutoff point of 60 (between 48 and 84) was established as a means of screening for female sexual dysfunction.
At the beginning of the treatment and at the end (one week after de beginning of the treatment), 1, 3 and 6 months after the end treatment.

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.
Centro de Atenção ao Assoalho Pélvico

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 (Estimated)

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.
August 16, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2026

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).
March 4, 2024

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.
March 22, 2024

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.
March 29, 2024

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 21, 2024

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 19, 2024

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, 2024

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.
  • 74090923.9.0000.5544

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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