Pathophysiological Mechanism Behind Prolonged Whiplash Associated Disorders

The knowledge of pathophysiological mechanisms behind prolonged Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD) is insufficient and whether changes can be restored by rehabilitation or not is unknown. The aim of these studies are to investigate different parameters to further learn about pathophysiological mechanisms (neck muscle fatty infiltration, cross-sectional area, volume, inflammation and function, brain structure and activity, biomarkers for stress and inflammation, cervical kinaesthesia and balance before and after intervention) and the association for clinical outcomes in individuals with chronic WAD (n=30) compared with age and gender matched healthy individuals (n=30). Measurements will be made at baseline (patients and healthy) and at 3 months (patients only, at the end of treatment). However, for the blood and saliva samples, they will be re-investigated in the healthy group as well. The study results may contribute to the development of improved understanding and diagnostics in chronic WAD that may improve future rehabilitation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Whiplash Injuries
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Exercises

Detailed Description

BACKGROUND There is no consensus regarding the injury mechanism in complex prolonged Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD) cases. Often, tissue damage and physiological alterations is not detectable. In order to improve future rehabilitation, a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying whiplash injury and their importance for treatment success is required. It is also important to investigate if pathophysiological changes can be restored by rehabilitation.

AIM The projects aims to investigate neck muscle structure and function, biomarkers and the association with pain, disability and other outcomes before and after neck-specific exercises.

METHODS Design These are sub-group trials, each one independent of the others, in a prospective, multicentre, randomized controlled trial (RCT) with two parallel treatment arms conducted according to a protocol established before recruitment started (ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol ID: NCT03022812). Physiotherapist-led neck-specific exercise previously shown to be effective for the current population constitutes the control treatment for the new Internet-based neck-specific exercise treatment. In the RCT, a total of 140 patients will be included (70 from each group), whereof 30 (both randomization arms equally) consecutively will be asked to participate in the present sub-group study. The sub-group studies aims to start September 2019. Independent physiotherapists in primary health care will distribute the treatment.

In sub-group of individuals, additional measurements will be performed before and after interventions end (3 months follow-up). The physical measurements will be performed by independent specially trained test-leaders blinded to randomization.

Additionally, 30 neck healthy individuals without serious diseases matched for age and gender will consecutively be investigated.

Study population

The inclusion criteria for patients are:

• Chronic neck problems corresponding to WAD grades 2-3 verified by clinical examination
• Average estimated pain in the last week at least 20 mm on the visual analogue scale (VAS)
• Neck disability of more than 20% on the Neck Disability Index (NDI) [10]
• Working age (18 - 63 years)
• Daily access to a computer/tablet/smart phone and Internet
• Neck symptoms within the first week after the injury (i.e., neck pain, neck stiffness, or cervical radiculopathy).

For the present sub group study additional criteria were:

• Right handed
• Dominant right sided or equal sided pain

Inclusion criteria for healthy controls:

• Age and gender matched healthy individuals without neck pain and disability (VAS <10mm, NDI <5%) that feel overall healthy without known diseases.

Exclusion criteria for patients:

• Individuals with any of the following signs of head injury at the time of whiplash injury will be excluded: loss of consciousness, amnesia before or after the injury, altered mental status (e.g., confusion, disorientation), focal neurological changes (changes in smell and taste).
• Previous fractures or dislocation of the cervical spine
• Known or suspected serious physical pathology included myelopathy,
• Spinal tumours
• Spinal infection
• Ongoing malignancy
• Previous severe neck problems that resulted in sick leave for more than a month in the year before the current whiplash injury
• surgery in the cervical spine
• Generalized or more dominant pain elsewhere in the body
• Other illness/injury that may prevent full participation
• Inability to understand and write in Swedish

Additional criteria in the present sub group:

• Increased risk of bleeding,
• BMI >35
• Contraindications of MRI such as metal, severe obesity, pacemaker and pregnancy.

Exclusion criteria for healthy controls:

• Earlier neck injury,
• Recurrent neck pain,
• Earlier treatment for neck pain.
• Increased risk of bleeding,
• BMI >35
• Contraindications of MRI

Recruitment and randomization Information about the study will be provided by healthcare providers, reports in newspapers, social media, and the university's website. Interested patients will contact the research team through the project website. After completing a small survey on the website, a project team member (physiotherapist) will perform a telephone interview and ask about the patient's medical history. An appointment for a physical examination and additional interview for the present sub-group study is made as a last step to ensure that the criteria for study participation are met. If the study criteria are met, written and oral informed consent are obtained, and the patient will fill out a questionnaire and undergo physical measurements of neck-related function. Baseline measurements must be completed for inclusion.

Healthy individuals will consecutively be recruited among friends, family and staff at the university or the university hospital to suit the age and gender of a patient.

Intervention for the patient group The intervention consists of neck-specific exercises distributed in two different ways, twice a week at the physiotherapist clinic for 3 months (NSE group) or with 4 physiotherapy visits only combined with a web-based system (NSEIT group).

A. In the NSE group, patients will get an explanation and justification for the exercise consisting of basic information about the musculoskeletal anatomy of the neck relevant to the exercises given by the physiotherapist in order to motivate the patient and help make them feel safe and reassured. The patients undergo a 12-week training programme with a physiotherapist 2 days/week (total 24 times). Exercises are chosen from a clear and written frame of exercises. The training includes exercises for the deep neck muscles, continuing with the endurance training of neck and shoulder muscles. The exercises are individually adjusted according to the individual's physical conditions and progressively increased in severity and dose. Exercise-related pain provocation is not accepted. The patient may also perform exercises at home. At the end of the treatment period, the participants are encouraged to continue practising on their own. The exercises have been used with good results in previous RCTs.

B. In the NSEIT group, patients will receive the same information and training programmes as the NSE group, but with 4 visits to the physiotherapist instead of 24. Exercises are introduced, progressed, and followed up to ensure correct performance. The exercises are performed and most of the information is given with the help of Internet support outside the healthcare system. Photos and videos of the exercises (a clear stepwise progression) and information are available on the Web-based system. A SMS reminder is automatically available if the exercise diary is not completed. The time required for training is the same as in group A, but without the patient having to go to the physiotherapy clinic. The Internet programme was developed by experienced physiotherapists/ researchers together with technicians and clinicians. Technicians are available to assist the participants if any technical difficulties arise. The patients will be introduced to the exercises and get information and support at the physiotherapy visits.

Variables and measurements Background data and data in the RCT include personal details, questionnaires and test results regarding pain, physical and psychological functioning, health and cost-effectiveness described elsewhere (ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol ID: NCT03022812).

Measurements will be done at baseline for both groups and at 3 months follow-up for the patient when treatment ends. Except for blood and saliva samples that will be collected twice (baseline and repeated after 3 months), the measurements will be performed at baseline only for the healthy individuals.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Sweden
  • Östergötland
    • Linköping, Östergötland, Sweden, 58183
      • Linköping University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years to 61 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Study population

The inclusion criteria for patients are:

• Chronic neck problems corresponding to WAD grades 2-3 verified by clinical examination
• Average estimated pain in the last week at least 20 mm on the visual analogue scale (VAS)
• Neck disability of more than 20% on the Neck Disability Index (NDI) [10]
• Working age (18 - 63 years)
• Daily access to a computer/tablet/smart phone and Internet
• Neck symptoms within the first week after the injury (i.e., neck pain, neck stiffness, or cervical radiculopathy).

For the present sub group study additional criteria were:

• Right handed
• Dominant right sided or equal sided pain

Inclusion criteria for healthy controls:

• Age and gender matched healthy individuals without neck pain and disability (VAS <10mm, NDI <5%) that feel overall healthy without known diseases.

Exclusion criteria for patients:

• Individuals with any of the following signs of head injury at the time of whiplash injury will be excluded: loss of consciousness, amnesia before or after the injury, altered mental status (e.g., confusion, disorientation), focal neurological changes (changes in smell and taste).
• Previous fractures or dislocation of the cervical spine
• Known or suspected serious physical pathology included myelopathy,
• Spinal tumours
• Spinal infection
• Ongoing malignancy
• Previous severe neck problems that resulted in sick leave for more than a month in the year before the current whiplash injury
• surgery in the cervical spine
• Generalized or more dominant pain elsewhere in the body
• Other illness/injury that may prevent full participation
• Inability to understand and write in Swedish

Additional criteria in the present sub group:

• Increased risk of bleeding,
• BMI >35
• Contraindications of MRI such as metal, severe obesity, pacemaker and pregnancy.

Exclusion criteria for healthy controls:

• Earlier neck injury,
• Recurrent neck pain,
• Earlier treatment for neck pain.
• Increased risk of bleeding,
• BMI >35
• Contraindications of MRI such as metal, severe obesity, pacemaker and pregnancy.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Patients, Neck-specific exercises; Patients before and after neck-specific exercises, subgroup to NCT01528579 with additional measures	Other: Exercises; Neck-specific exercises for chronic whiplash associated disorders; Other Names: No treatment, controls only
No Intervention: Healthy controls; Healthy controls, no treatment

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Speckle tracking analyses of neck and shoulder muscle function	Measured with medical ultrasonography during neck and arm exercises	Baseline and at 3 months follow-up when intervention ended. The outcome measure is going to report a change over time for patients.
Cross-sectional area, volume, fatty infiltration and inflammation of neck muscles	Neck and some whole body imaging measured with 3.0 T MRI scanner	Baseline, 3 months. The outcome measure is going to report a change over time for patients.
Brain function in cortical networks related to pain	Measured with a resting-state fMRI protocol with an echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence	Baseline, 3 months. The outcome measure is going to report a change over time for patients.
Biomarkers for inflammation and stress	Measured with blood samples and saliva	Baseline, 3 months. The outcome measure is going to report a change over time for patients.
Cervikal kinaesthesia	Neck-eye coordination	Baseline, 3 months. The outcome measure is going to report a change over time for patients.
Balance test	Postural sway during single and double leg stance	Baseline, 3 months. The outcome measure is going to report a change over time for patients.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Neck Disability Index (NDI)	Self-reported neck-specific function. Score 0 to 50 (or in percentages 0% to 100%); 0p/0%=no disability, 50p/100%=complete activity limitation	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Whiplash Disability Questionnaire	Disability associated with whiplash, in patients. Score 0 to 130; 0=no disability, 130=maximum disability.	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Patient-specific functional scale (PSFS)	Individual ratings of function to quantify activity limitations, in patients. Score 0-10 score; 0= Unable to perform activity, 10= Able to perform activity at the same level as before injury or problem. Total score=sum of the activity scores/ number of activities.	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Pain intensity in neck, head, and arm and dizziness by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (0-100 mm; where 0=no pain, 100= worst imaginable pain )	Pain intensity. Score 0 to 100 mm; 0=no pain, 100=worst imaginable pain	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Distribution of pain by a pain drawing assessed with images	Distribution of pain, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Frequency of pain	Frequency of pain, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Use of pain medications	Use of pain medications, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Dizziness/balance by the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI)	Dizziness questionnaire, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Headache Questions by VAS and the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6)	Impact of headache, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), total scores range from 0 - 52; 0=no catastrophizing, 52= maximum catastrophizing	Self-reported pain catastrophizing, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
EuroQuol five dimensions	Self-reported health, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Effort Reward Imbalance questionnaire	Work related balance between effort and reward, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Symptoms Satisfaction scale	Satisfaction with present symptoms, in patients. 1 to 7 scale; 1=delighted, 7=terrible.	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Physical activity score, a combination score of the 2 questions (everyday physical activity and exercise/sport/open-air activity) to a combined 4-point score	Physical activity. Score 0 to 4; 0=inactivity, 4=high activity.	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Health care consumption, number of visits	Health care consumption, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Self-Efficacy Scale (SES)	Self-reported self-efficacy, in patients. Score 0-200; 0=no self-efficacy, 200=strong self-efficacy	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ)	Fear Avoidance Beliefs, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD)	Depression and anxiety. Each subscale (depression and anxiety) range from 0 to 21; 0=normal, 21=severe	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder checklist (PCL-S)	Post Traumatic Stress, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Range of neck motion	Range of motion, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Ergonomics questions and how work is perceived	Work ergonomics, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Sickness presence by the Stanford presenteeism scale (SPS-6)	Sickness presence at work, impact of health problems on individual work performance and overall perceived productivity , in patients. Scores 6-30, with lower scores indicting lower Presenteeism, and higher scores indicating higher Presenteeism.	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI) questionnaire	Patient enablement, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Consumption of analgesic drugs prescribed through the drug registry	Consumption of analgesic drugs, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Sick-leave registration, number of days and episodes	Sick-leave, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Cognitive failures questionnaire (CFQ)	Cognitive function, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Sensorimotor control of the neck muscles, mm Hg	Sensorimotor control, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Neck muscle endurance of ventral and dorsal neck muscles in seconds	Neck muscle endurance, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Balance measured in seconds, standing on one leg with eyes closed	Balance, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Neurology	Clinical examination of neurology, in patients, such as reflexes, sensibility, muscle weakness, Spurling´s test, neural tension test.	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Work Ability Index (WAI)	Self-reported work ability, in patients	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up
Global rating of change scale	Overall change because of the treatment, in patients. Score -5 (very much worse to +5 completely recovered and importance of change 0=not at all important, 100= very important.	Change from baseline to 3 months (the end of treatment) and 15 months (1 year after study treatment is finalized) follow-up

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Background data such as age and gender, living circumstances	Background data such as age, gender, living circumstances	Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Linkoeping University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Anneli Peolsson, Professor, Linkoeping University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Peolsson A, Karlsson A, Ghafouri B, Ebbers T, Engstrom M, Jonsson M, Wahlen K, Romu T, Borga M, Kristjansson E, Bahat HS, German D, Zsigmond P, Peterson G. Pathophysiology behind prolonged whiplash associated disorders: study protocol for an experimental study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2019 Feb 2;20(1):51. doi: 10.1186/s12891-019-2433-3.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 4, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 16, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): December 16, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 28, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 6, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): September 11, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 3, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 2, 2023
• Last Verified: October 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Diagnostics; Neck pain, Rehabilitation, Muscles, Clinical Trial,
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Wounds and Injuries; Neck Injuries; Whiplash Injuries
• Other Study ID Numbers: Linköping University

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Unidentified data may be available upon resonable request (may need approval from the ethics comittee as it contains data about health).

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No