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Changes in Motor Cortex Following Exercises for Chronic Low Back Pain

NCT00864422 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE1 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2009-03-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The motor cortex of the brain changes following chronic pain and injury, and this is linked to pain-associated changes in motor behaviour. This study aimed to investigate whether therapeutic exercises in patients with chronic pain can induce reorganisation of the motor cortex and restore normal motor behaviour. The investigators hypothesised that motor training can induce reorganisation of the motor cortex and that these changes are related to improved motor behaviour.

Conditions

  • Chronic Low Back Pain

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Skilled motor training

This involves training subjects to independently and cognitively activate the deep abdominal muscles, transversus abdominis, with minimal or no activity in other trunk muscles. The contraction is held for 10 seconds and subjects complete three blocks of ten contractions, twice per day for two weeks. This training protocol is commonly used clinically for people with chronic back pain.

BEHAVIORAL

Walking exercise

The control intervention involves walking exercises for ten minutes, twice per day. Subjects are advised to walk at their own pace with no instructions on activation of specific trunk muscles. The exercise is performed over two weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • The University of Queensland

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Paul W Hodges, MedDr (Neurosci) PhD BPhty · The University of Queensland

  • Henry Tsao, PhD MPhty (Manipulative) BPhty · The University of Queensland

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
55 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2006-10-31
Primary Completion
2007-09-30
Completion
2007-09-30

Countries

  • Australia

Study Locations

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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 NCT00864422 on ClinicalTrials.gov