Evaluation of Response to Pain From Skull Pin Fixation in Craniotomies

July 23, 2026 updated by: Ceyda Ozhan Caparlar, Diskapi Teaching and Research Hospital

Evaluation of Response to Pain From Skull Pin Fixation in Craniotomies With BIS-DSA (Bıspectral Index-Density Spectral Array) and Hemodynamics

The goal of this observational study is to investigate the relationship between the response to skull pin fixation pain and the analysis of blood pressure, heart rate, and brain wave activity in adults undergoing brain surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does the analysis of blood pressure, heart rate, and brain wave activity indicate the patient's response to skull pin fixation pain during brain surgery? How do the methods used to reduce skull pin fixation pain in brain surgeries affect narcotic opioid consumption? The researchers will monitor the patients' response to skull pin fixation pain during surgery through the analysis of brain wave activity.

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

Adult patients undergoing elective craniotomy under general anesthesia will be evaluated. Methods used to manage pin-related pain will be categorized into three approaches: intravenous opioids, local Methods used to manage pin-related pain will be categorised into three approaches: intravenous opioids, local anaesthetic injection at the pin site, and scalp block. injection at the pin site, and scalp block. The patient's The patient's haemodynamic responses and reactions to painful stimuli recorded by the BIS-DSA monitor during skull clamp placement will be documented. responses and reactions to painful stimuli recorded by the BIS-DSA monitor during skull clamp placement will be documented. These records are automatically archived in the BIS-DSA device.Waveform data will be converted into numerical values using a predefined hue-based algorithm.

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.
Observational

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.
120

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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • University of Health Sciences Etlik City Hospital

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

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

"This study will include adult patients undergoing elective craniotomy under general anesthesia. Participants will be assigned to different pain management techniques (scalp nerve block, intravenous opioids, or local anesthetic injection) to evaluate their effects on BIS-DSA spectral analysis and hemodynamic responses.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult patients aged 18-70 years undergoing elective craniotomy.
  • Patients classified as ASA 1-3 according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification.
  • Patients scheduled for surgery under general anesthesia.
  • Patients who provide written informed consent to participate in the study.
  • Patients with normal cognitive function (i.e., no diagnosed dementia or severe cognitive impairment).
  • Patients with a preoperative BIS value within the normal range (i.e., no extreme baseline deviations).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients classified as ASA 4 or higher.
  • Patients with neurological disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, stroke history).
  • Patients with psychiatric disorders (e.g., severe depression, schizophrenia) that may affect pain perception and response.
  • Patients with known allergies to local anesthetics or opioids.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  • Patients with contraindications to anesthesia, including but not limited to:
  • Severe cardiovascular disease (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, recent myocardial infarction).
  • Severe respiratory disease (e.g., COPD, uncontrolled asthma).
  • Patients with any neurological or pharmacological condition that may interfere with BIS-DSA or EEG measurements.
  • Patients with preoperative chronic opioid use (≥3 months) due to potential tolerance affecting response to intraoperative analgesia.
  • Patients with a history of substance abuse that may alter the BIS response or anesthetic metabolism.
  • Patients with significant hearing or communication impairments, preventing them from understanding or responding to preoperative assessments.
  • Patients with significant scalp pathology (e.g., infections, scars, large vascular malformations) at the BIS electrode placement site, which may interfere with signal acquisition.

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
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.
Group 1: Scalp group
"This group consists of patients who receive a scalp nerve block for pain management during skull pin fixation."
Procedure: Scalp nerve block
Patient in this group will receive a scalp nerve block using bupivacaine before skull pin fixation to manage to pain.
Other Names:
  • Scalp nerve block with bupivacaine
Group 2: Opioid Group
"This group consists of patients who receive intravenous opioids for pain management during skull pin fixation."
Drug: Opioid Anesthetics
Patient in this group will receive IV opioid for pain management before skull pin fixation
Other Names:
  • IV fentanyl
Group 3: Local Anesthetic Group
"This group consists of patients who receive a local anesthetic injection at the pin site before skull pin fixation."
Procedure: Local Anesthetic Injection
"Patients in this group will receive a local anesthetic (such as lidocaine) injection at the pin site before skull pin fixation.
Other Names:
  • Lidocaine injection at pin site

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
Changes in BIS-DSA spectral analysis before and after skull pin fixation
Time Frame: From baseline (before skull pin fixation) to 5 minutes after skull pin fixation.
The primary outcome measure will be the changes in brain wave activity, specifically in the BIS-DSA spectral analysis, before and after skull pin fixation. This will be assessed by comparing the pre- and post-fixation BIS values and spectral features such as alpha dropout, beta arousal, and delta changes
From baseline (before skull pin fixation) to 5 minutes after skull pin fixation.

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
Changes in Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) before and after skull pin fixation
Time Frame: Baseline to 5 minutes after skull pin fixation.
Hemodynamic response will be evaluated by measuring changes in mean arterial pressure before and after skull pin fixation.
Baseline to 5 minutes after skull pin fixation.

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.
Diskapi Teaching and Research 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: Ceyda Ozhan Caparlar, MD, Ankara Etlik City 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 28, 2025

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.
October 30, 2025

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.
January 30, 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).
January 28, 2025

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.
February 5, 2025

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.
February 6, 2025

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 24, 2026

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 23, 2026

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, 2026

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.
  • AESH-BADEK-2016-1016

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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