MedTrace Logo

Pain Pathways in the Brain

NCT00078364 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 30

Last updated 2008-03-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study will evaluate brain pathways involved in feeling pain and pain relief following administration of pain medication. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be used to measure brain activity at sites that become more active following oral surgery and then to see if the activity changes after pain medication is administered. MRI combines a powerful magnet with an advanced computer system and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of organs and tissues. During the scan, the subject lies on a table in a narrow cylinder containing a magnetic field. He or she can speak with a staff member via an intercom system at all times during the procedure.

Healthy dental patients recruited through the NIH Clinical Research Volunteer Program may enroll in this study. Participants will undergo the following tests and procedures in two clinic visits:

Visit 1 - Sensitivity Testing

Participants are tested for sensitivity to warm and hot temperatures. A probe is applied to the skin (usually the forearm) and heated to temperatures ranging from room temperature to that of a hot cup of coffee. Participants rate the temperature using a scale ranging from "no pain" to the "worst pain imaginable" and rate the unpleasantness of the heat using a similar scale. The probe is applied up to 30 times, using random heat intensities. Participants are also asked compare the heat intensity to varying levels of sounds and to rate the magnitude of different sensations they have experienced in the past, such as the brightness of the sun and the loudness of a jet plane. A blood sample of about 2 ounces is also collected at this visit for DNA analysis to look for genes related to pain.

Visit 2 - Oral Surgery

Under local anesthetic, participants undergo extraction of their lower right wisdom tooth. After surgery, the patient is moved to the MRI scanner for brain imaging over 1-2 hours while the local anesthetic wears off. Patients may request a postoperative pain drug (Toradol) during the procedure, if needed. When the scan is complete, patients are dismissed from the clinic with additional pain medication (flurbiprofen) to use at home as directed.

Conditions

  • Healthy
  • Tooth Extraction

Interventions

PROCEDURE

MRI

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

    lead NIH

Study Design

Purpose
TREATMENT

Eligibility

Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2004-02-29
Completion
2005-08-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00078364 on ClinicalTrials.gov