Whole-body Vibration Training to Reduce the Symptoms of Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Summary

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a highly prevalent and clinically meaningful side effect of cancer treatment. It is induced by neurotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, causing severe sensory and/or motor deficits such as pain, altered sensation, reduced or absent reflexes, muscle weakness, reduced balance control, insecure gait, and higher risk of falling. It is associated with significant disability and poor recovery, not only reducing patients' autonomy and quality of life but also limiting medical cancer therapy, which subsequently may affect the clinical outcome and compromise survival. To date, CIPN cannot be prevented and approved and effective treatment options are lacking.

Promising results regarding CIPN have recently been achieved with exercise. Own preliminary work revealed that patients profit from sensorimotor training (SMT), experiencing significant relief from CIPN induced symptoms. In a pilot study we therefore also evaluated whole body vibration training, a further neuromuscular stimulating exercise intervention. Results suggest that whole body vibration (WBV) is not only feasible and safe for neuropathic cancer patients but can attenuate motor and sensory deficits.

We therefore propose a two-armed, multicenter, randomized controlled trial (RCT with a follow-up period), including 44 patients with neurologically confirmed CIPN, in order to evaluate the effects of WBV on the relevant symptoms of CIPN. Primary endpoint is the patient reported reduction of CIPN-related symptoms (FACT-GOG-Ntx). Secondary endpoints will include compound muscle action potentials, distal motor latency, conduction velocity, and F-waves from the tibial and peroneal nerve as well as antidromic sensory nerve conduction studies of the sural nerve, feasibility, non-invasive electromyographic (EMG) activity of mm. tibialis anterior, soleus, gastrocnemius medialis, rectus femoris, vastus medialis and biceps femoris, peripheral deep sensitivity, proprioception, balance control as well as pain, quality of life and the level of physical activity. Patients will be assessed before and after a 12 week intervention and again after 12 weeks of follow-up. Interim tests will be performed 6 weeks into the intervention as well as every 3 weeks during the follow-up.

We hypothesize that individually tailored whole body vibration training will reduce relevant symptoms of CIPN. Our results could contribute to improve supportive care in oncology, thereby enhancing patients' quality of life and coincidentally enabling the optimal medical therapy.

Conditions

• Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Whole-body vibration training

Whole-body vibration exercise

Sponsors & Collaborators

• German Sport University, Cologne

  collaborator OTHER

• University Hospital of Cologne

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Freiburg

  collaborator OTHER

• University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Basel

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Fiona Streckmann, PhD · University of Basel

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-03-01

Primary Completion

2018-07-01

Completion

2018-07-01

Countries

• Switzerland

Study Locations