Current Pain Research Studies
ACTIVE PROTOCOLS-CURRENTLY RECRUITING SUBJECTS
QST
“Pain
Response in Patients on Long Term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain.”
IRB
Protocol 2003P-000110
The Center
is currently recruiting subjects for this IRB-approved study to compare
pain threshold and tolerance using quantitative sensory testing. You may qualify if your are a chronic pain patient currently on opioid therapy.
This study explores the effects of opioids on pain threshold and
tolerance. The study is conducted at the
MGH Center for Translational Pain Research and includes
a standardized interview, a non-invasive
examination and quantitative sensory testing (QST). QST is non invasive and involves heat and cold stimulation.
Compensation will be provided.
For further information, please contact us at
617-724-6102 or toll-free at 888-No-2-Ouch
mghpainresearch@partners.org
ACUPUNCTURE AIM I
"Evaluating the Effect of Acupuncture on Pain Relief Using QST"
IRB
Protocol 2009P-001551
The Center is currently recruiting subjects for a study to find out if a new approach to measuring acupuncture therapy is
effective. We think one way to test how effective acupuncture therapy is, would be to test how a
person responds to heat and cold sensations before and after acupuncture therapy.
The study consists of 3-7 visits, an interview, a brief physical exam, a urine test, two blood draws and sensory testing. The testing (Quantitative Sensory
Testing) is noninvasive and involves heat and cold stimulation.
Compensation will be provided.
We are recruiting people ages 18-65, who have had radiating neck or back pain for at least two months.
Radiating neck or back pain includes, but is not limited to, disk
herniation, spinal stenosis or post-laminectomy syndrome.
For further information, please contact us at
617-724-6102 or toll-free at 888-No-2-Ouch
mghpainresearch@partners.org
ACUPUNCTURE AIM III
"Effect of Acupuncture and Pain Medication on Radicular Pain
Using QST"
IRB
Protocol 2012P-001795
The Center is currently recruiting subjects for a study is to see if people with neck and back pain that spreads to their arms or
legs feel improvement while using Gabapentin (pain medication) or while receiving acupuncture.
We will compare the acupuncture results to the Gabapentin results.
The study consists of 3-7 visits, an interview, a brief physical exam, a urine test, sensory testing and the daily use of the study medication and placebo. Gabapentin is a U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approved treatment for shingles. The testing (Quantitative Sensory
Testing) is noninvasive and involves heat and cold stimulation and is approved by the FDA. Compensation will be provided.
We are recruiting people ages 18-65, who have had radiating neck or back pain for at least two months.
Cervical or lumbar radicular pain will include, but is not limited to, such clinical conditions as disk herniation, spinal stenosis, and post-laminectomy syndrome.
For further information, please contact us at
617-724-6102 or toll-free at 888-No-2-Ouch
mghpainresearch@partners.org
RADICULAR PAIN
IRB Protocol 2011P-002234
"Somatosensory Profiling in Radicular Pain Patients and its Correlation With Treatment Outcome"
The Center is currently seeking people with pain in their legs originating from the spine. The study is looking at the pain sensation, threshold,
tolerance and the outcome of the treatment given by their own physicians.
The study consists of two visits, an interview, a brief physical exam, a urine test and sensory testing. The testing (Quantitative Sensory
Testing) is noninvasive (no needles) and involves heat and cold stimulation.
Estimated time of each visit is 2 hours. Compensation will be provided.
You may qualify if you are between the ages of 18-80, have pain in the legs, which is determined by your physician to originate from your spine, and receiving treatment by your physician.
For further information, please contact us at
617-724-6102 or toll-free at 888-No-2-Ouch
mghpainresearch@partners.org
ACTIVE PROTOCOLS-CURRENTLY NOT RECRUITING SUBJECTS
KETAMINE
"Effect of Ketamine on Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia"
IRB
Protocol 2008P-000879
The Center is not currently recruiting subjects for a study to develop a diagnostic tool to explain why narcotics do not always improve pain. The study consisted of one to two visits, a brief physical exam, a urine test, an FDA approved drug infusion and sensory testing – a noninvasive test that involves hot and cold stimulation. Potential subjects were 18-65 years old, with chronic pain and taking narcotic pain medication for the last 3 months. Compensation was provided.
For further information, please contact us at
617-724-6102 or toll-free at 888-No-2-Ouch
mghpainresearch@partners.org
PENNSAID
"Effect of Pennsaid on Clinical Neuropathic Pain"
IRB Protocol 2011P-000897
The Center is not currently recruiting subjects for this IRB approved study to see if the drug Pennsaid (Diclofenac) can help reduce pain felt by
people with chronic nerve pain.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pennsaid to treat osteoarthritis
(bone pain), but the FDA has not approved Pennsaid to treat neuropathic (nerve) pain.
The research study compared Pennsaid to placebo. Qualified subjects were 18-80 years old and had a diagnosed nerve pain
condition for at least 3 months. The study consisted of four study visits over 5 weeks, three phone interviews, a pain diary and medication log, questionnaires, a urine test, a brief physical exam, sensory testing and use of medicated study lotion to be used 2-4 times each day during the study. Compensation was provided.
For further information, please contact us at
617-724-6102 or toll-free at 888-No-2-Ouch
mghpainresearch@partners.org
SCS
"Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation on Pain Thresholds and Sensory Perceptions in Chronic Pain Patients"
IRB Protocol 2010P-000425
The Center is not currently recruiting subjects for this study. The purpose of this study was to better understand how the Spinal Cord Stimulator works in
relieving chronic pain.
We recruited subjects who had chronic pain and who already had a Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) in place. Compensation was provided.
For further information, please contact us at
617-724-6102 or toll-free at 888-No-2-Ouch
mghpainresearch@partners.org
COMPLETED PROTOCOLS
ULTRAM ER
“Clinical
Management of Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia with Tramadol ER”
IRB
Protocol 2007P-000025
This was a
research study to see if Ultram ER, an FDA-approved pain medication, would
be helpful in providing pain relief in subjects whose chronic pain is not
well controlled on narcotic pain medicine. The study consisted of 6 visits
over 6 weeks. Study testing included: physical exam, urine testing,
questionnaires and non-invasive (no needles) nerve testing using cold/heat
sensations.
For
further information, please contact us at 617-724-6102
or toll free at 888-NO- 2- OUCH
mghpainresearch@partners.org
RAMELTEON
“Clinical Management of Neuropathic Pain with Ramelteon”
IRB Protocol 2008-P-000988
This was an IRB-approved double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical study to examine the hypothesis that ramelteon would reduce pain scores and improve functional status in subjects with neuropathic pain.
For further information, please contact us at 617-724-6102 or toll free at 888-NO-2-OUCH mghpainresearch@partners.org
CHART REVIEW STUDY
"Pain
Relief and Functional Improvement Following Opioid Therapy"
IRB
Protocol 2206P-001347
The
purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between opioid
therapy and clinical outcomes. The dose, duration of treatment, and
type of opioid were compared to outcomes such as pain reduction,
functional improvement, and presence of side effects in chronic pain
patients on opioid therapy. This was a retrospective chart review
study only. Medical records of patients who were seen at
Massachusetts General
Hospital
Pain
Center
from 1995 on,
and who were on opioid therapy, were examined for variables of opioid
therapy, and clinical outcomes were recorded.
For
further information, please contact us at 617-724-6102
or toll free at 888-NO- 2- OUCH
mghpainresearch@partners.org
ACUPUNCTURE AND PAIN MANAGEMENT - A NATIONAL SURVEY
A nation wide survey was conducted to gather information regarding the role of acupuncture in pain management from pain physicians and referral physicians who mange clinical pain conditions. In recent years acupuncture has gained popularity in the United States of America as a modality of complementary and alternative medicine for certain disease entities and clinical conditions including pain. Our results indicate that an overwhelming majority of survey responders have a positive attitude toward using acupuncture as an alternative modality for pain management.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=A+SURVEY+OF+selected+physician's+views+on+acupuncture+in+pain+management
For
further information, please contact us at 617-724-6102
or toll free at 888-NO- 2- OUCH
mghpainresearch@partners.org
OPIOID THERAPY FOR CHRONIC PAIN: PHYSICIANS' ATTITUDE AND CURRENT PRACTICE PATTERNS - A NATIONAL SURVEY
The authors conducted a comprehensive practice-oriented survey to examine physicians' attitudes, knowledge, experience, and practice patterns regarding opioid therapy for chronic pain management. The survey contained 23 questions divided into six categories: (1) physicians' overall view on opioid therapy for chronic pain management; (2) clinical indications for opioid therapy; (3) patient-related factors influencing the decision to begin opioid therapy; (4) effectiveness of opioid therapy; (5) choice of opioid regimen; and (6) opioid agreement and opioid abuse behavior. The survey results suggest that opioid therapy remains an important treatment option for chronic malignant and nonmalignant pain. However, the survey results should be viewed in the context of a low response rate (18.2 percent). These results also suggest that by improving the clinical knowledge of physicians participating in opioid therapy through education and collaboration, including a team approach with consultation from pain specialists, psychologists, and others, a better outcome for opioid therapy in patients with chronic pain conditions could be achieved.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21957826
For
further information, please contact us at 617-724-6102
or toll free at 888-NO- 2- OUCH
mghpainresearch@partners.org
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