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Brivaracetam to Reduce Neuropathic Pain in Chronic SCI: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

NCT05639946 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE3 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 44

Last updated 2026-03-18

Study results available
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Summary

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with severe neuropathic pain that is often refractory to pharmacological intervention. Preliminary data suggest brivaracetam is a mechanism-based pharmacological intervention for neuropathic pain in SCI. Based on this and other reports in the literature, SCI-related neuropathic pain is hypothesized to occur largely because of upregulation of synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) within the substantia gelatinosa of the injured spinal cord. Furthermore, compared to placebo, brivaracetam treatment is hypothesized to reduce severe below-level SCI neuropathic pain and increases parietal operculum (partsOP1/OP4) connectivity strength measured by resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rsfMRI). Circulating miRNA-485 levels may be associated with change in pain intensity due to brivaracetam treatment. The study aims to determine the efficacy of brivaracetam treatment for SCI-related neuropathic pain.

Conditions

  • Spinal Cord Injuries
  • Neuropathic Pain

Interventions

DRUG

brivaracetam

Drug dosage will be individually titrated for each participant with a goal of 100mg BID according to the following dose escalation protocol that we use clinically: 50mg BID for 1 week followed by 100mg BID for 28 days as tolerated. Participants will be allowed to reduce the dose of brivaracetam if they experience unacceptable side effects defined as increased somnolence according to routine clinical practice with other drugs in this class used for pain. Drug discontinuation at study completion will be done according to the following protocol we use clinically that will be initiated for 2 weeks: reduction to 50mg BID for 1 week followed by 50mg daily for 1 week.

DRUG

Placebo

Participants will receive placebo drug

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • Ricardo Battaglino, PhD · University of Minnesota

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-01-01
Primary Completion
2024-10-07
Completion
2024-10-16
FDA Drug
Yes

Countries

  • United States

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 NCT05639946 on ClinicalTrials.gov