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Pain clinical trials at University of California Health

67 in progress, 38 open to eligible people

Showing trials for
  • Magnesium Infusion for Pain Management in Critically Ill Trauma Patients

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Magnesium is a naturally occurring mineral that is important for your body and brain. Magnesium sulfate (study drug) is a medication containing magnesium that is commonly used to improve low blood levels of magnesium. Magnesium sulfate has also proven to be successful in managing pain before and after surgery. However, this drug has primarily been used for pain control in patients undergoing surgery. Patients in the ICU with injuries also need good pain control. Using magnesium may assist in decreasing narcotic (pain reliever) requirements and provide another non-narcotic drug for pain control. The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of continuous, intravenous (into or within a vein using a needle) administration of magnesium sulfate for pain control in trauma patients admitted to the adult Intensive Care Unit. This will be compared to intravenous normal saline (salt solution).

    at UC Davis

  • AnalgeSiC and appEtite-stimulating Effects of caNnabigerol and THC (ASCENT)

    open to eligible people ages 21-55

    This study will assess the analgesic, appetite-stimulating, and subjective effects of cannabigerol (CBG) alone and in combination with THC.

    at UCLA

  • Analgesic and Subjective Effects of Terpenes

    open to eligible people ages 21-55

    The purpose of this research is to assess the analgesic and subjective effects of terpenes administered alone and in combination of THC.

    at UCLA

  • Urinary Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Technology in the Evaluation and Management of Females With Chronic Bladder Pain and Cystitis-like Symptoms

    open to eligible females ages 18-80

    Real-world clinical practice multicenter study to determine the clinical implications of employing PCR/NGS technology to identify and treat potential urinary pathogens in female participants identified with bladder pain and/or cystitis-like symptoms.

    at UCLA UCSD

  • Benzodiazepine Taper With Telehealth-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Patients Using Prescription Opioids

    open to eligible people ages 18-85

    The study aims to examine the efficacy of a telehealth-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) + benzodiazepine taper (BZ-TP) program in facilitating reductions in benzodiazepine use among patients who are prescribed opioids for pain.

    at UCLA

  • Brain Mechanisms Supporting Cannabis-induced Pain Relief

    open to eligible people ages 21-65

    The American Academy of Pain Medicine has labeled pain as a "silent epidemic" due to its staggering costs to society (over $500 billion/year) and widespread prevalence (affects over 100 million Americans). Thus, it is imperative to test and validate cost-effective pain therapies. To this extent, cannabis is characterized as one of the most promising therapies to treat a wide spectrum of pain conditions. However, the clinical applicability of cannabis-based pain therapies has been limited due to lacking mechanistic characterization in human-focused studies. Of critical importance, the neural mechanisms supporting cannabis induced pain relief remain unknown. The primary objective of the proposed pilot study is to identify the brain mechanisms supporting the direct alleviation of acutely evoked pain through vaporized cannabis.

    at UCSD

  • Cannabis Effects as a Function of Sex (CanSex)

    open to eligible people ages 21-55

    The purpose of this research is to assess the impact of cannabis on the analgesic and abuse-related effects between men and women

    at UCLA

  • Compassion Meditation vs. Health Education for Veterans

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Chronic pain (CP) is a major health problem for military Veterans, and CP is often associated with comorbid mental health problems, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. CP with psychological comorbidity is associated with increased healthcare costs, medication use, risk of suicide and rates of disability and reduced quality of life. Current empirically supported treatments do not always lead to substantial improvements (up to 50% of patients drop out or are do not respond to treatment). This project was designed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel intervention for addressing these challenges. Compassion meditation (CM), a meditative practice that focuses on the wish to remove suffering, is a contemplative practice that has promise for the amelioration of physical and mental health problems as well as promoting positive affect and improving quality of life. This study will evaluate the efficacy of Cognitively-Based Compassion Training for Chronic Pain with Psychological Comorbidity (CBCT-CP+) compared to Health Education while Living with Pain (H.E.L.P.) control condition, in a sample of among Veterans with CP conditions and psychological comorbidity.

    at UCSD

  • DBS of the SCC for the Treatment of Medically Refractory CLBP

    open to eligible people ages 40-75

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of deep brain stimulation of the subgenual cingulate cortex for the treatment of chronic medically-refractory low back pain using a randomized double-blind crossover design.

    at UCLA

  • VR on Pain and Patient Satisfaction in Adults Receiving GNRFA

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The study team aims to investigate whether implementing virtual reality therapy (VRT) during Genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation (GNRFA) procedure will provide better alleviation of procedural pain and augmented satisfaction for patients.

    at UC Irvine

  • EPPIC-Net: Novaremed Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy ISA

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of the current hard gelatin capsule formulation of NRD135S.E1 80 mg once daily in the treatment of PDPN when administered for 13 weeks.

    at UCSD

  • EPPIC-Net: Platform Protocol to Assess Treatments for Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    This is a Platform Protocol to perform Phase II clinical trials in The Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network (EPPIC-Net), under The Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM Initiative, or NIH HEAL InitiativeSM, related to the treatment of Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (PDPN) in a platform setting to test multiple assets under a single protocol.

    at UCSD

  • Erector Spinae Plane Block Catheters and Intrathecal Morphine for Hepatic Resection

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    To determine whether the addition of erector spinae plane (ESP) catheters to existing multimodal analgesic regimen with intrathecal morphine provides superior postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing hepatic resection compared with patients not receiving ESP catheters.

    at UCSD

  • Latinx Children and Surgery

    open to eligible people ages 2-7

    Over 60 million persons in the United States (US) identify themselves as Latinx and 25.6% are children under the age of 16. Surgical disparities for adults and children have been identified as a major problem in the US and can be experienced at multiple points along a patient's health care trajectory. Data from the investigator's center indicates that a substantial portion of Latinx children who undergo surgery experience high anxiety and postoperative pain as well as postoperative impairments in psychological and physical functioning as compared to White non-Latin children who undergo surgery. Recent growth in use of mobile devices provides us an opportunity to create low-cost mobile health (mHealth) behavioral interventions to reduce this disparity in surgical outcomes. In a previous National Institutes of Health (NIH) award, the principal investigator (PI) developed and tested an evidence based mHealth tailored intervention (WebTIPS) that aims to prepare and be a companion of a child and their family during a surgical event. WebTIPS aims to enhance the recovery of the child in several ways such as reducing anxiety and pain and is based on information provision, modeling, and teaching of coping skills. WebTIPS, however, was developed and validated with a population of primarily White non-Latinx English-speaking children and their parents. Unfortunately, it is well established that mHealth interventions are significantly less effective when used with specific ethnic minorities unless they underwent a process of cultural adaptation. Over the past 4-years, the investigators have established multiple academic and community collaborations, conducted extensive participatory research with Latinx stakeholders and used the heuristic framework and a modified ecological validity model to culturally adapt WebTIPS. The culturally adapted intervention is called L-WebTIPS. The overall aim of this application is to reduce surgical disparities in a population of Latinx children undergoing surgery. The first phase of this application (R61) includes web programming of L-WebTIPS, conduct formative evaluation and conduct feasibly randomized control trial (RCT) to test this intervention. The second phase (R33) includes a multi-center RCT which aims to determine the effectiveness of L-WebTIPS compared to attention control intervention in decreasing postoperative pain, opioids consumption and lowering anxiety in Latinx children undergoing outpatient surgery. Secondary aims of the R33 include examining the impact of L-WebTIPS on home-based clinical recovery parameters such as pain, analgesic requirements, new onset behavioral changes and return to normal daily activity in Latinx children undergoing outpatient surgery. The investigators also plan to determine if the use of L-WebTIPS reduces anxiety and improve experience among the parents of Latinx children undergoing surgery. Finally, the investigators plan to determine if the use of L-WebTIPS reduces anxiety and enhance experience among the parents of Latinx children undergoing surgery. The investigators submit that using a cultural adaption process for an existing validated intervention will accelerate the process of reducing surgical disparities and bringing an effective intervention to clinical settings and routine use.

    at UC Irvine

  • Long Term Efficacy of Neuronavigation Guided rTMS in Alleviating Gulf War Illness Related Headaches and Pain Symptoms

    open to eligible people ages 18-65

    This study aims to look at the long term efficacy of using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in relieving Gulf War Illness related headaches and pain.

    at UCSD

  • Managing Opioid Related Sleep Apnea With Acetazolamide

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Patients with chronic pain who use opioids appear to be at increased risk for breathing issues during sleep, termed sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Treatment of SDB often consists of use of a device during sleep that provides continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) via a mask interface. However, this device is not effective or tolerated in all individuals. The goal of this study is to examine whether a medication called acetazolamide can improve SDB, as an alternative to CPAP treatment. The investigators will measure the improvement in SDB, as well as any change in symptoms, during a 1 week treatment with acetazolamide compared with 1 week of placebo (sugar pill). This study will help to provide data for longer term studies of treatment for SDB in patients who use opioids.

    at UCSD

  • Mechanisms of Affective Touch in Chronic Pain

    open to eligible people ages 18-65

    This study compares how different types of touch found in massage therapies impact pain perception, and whether these effects differ in individuals with and without chronic pain. This study also examines psychological factors that may predict differences in touch perception in individuals with chronic pain. This research will improve our understanding of whether and how massage therapies can benefit pain and health, and whether this differs in people who suffer from chronic pain.

    at UCSD

  • Opioid Approach Bias Modification

    open to eligible people ages 18-69

    To investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying opioid approach bias during a pilot RCT of opioid approach bias modification. The investigators are combining novel ultra-high field MRI technology with the promising treatment of modifying cognitive bias away from detrimental prescription drug use will generate novel neural data and potentially yield a new therapeutic tool to reduce problematic opioid use.

    at UCSF

  • Pain and Major Depressive Disorder

    open to eligible people ages 18-75

    This study will examine the effects of brain stimulation on pain symptoms associated with Major depressive disorder. This study will enroll 54 Subjects. Study subjects will be asked to complete surveys about their mood and well-being, 2 blood draws, 2 MRIs, 3 electroencephalograms, and receive 30 treatments of blinded transcranial magnetic stimulation. There is no control group as all subjects will receive some form of active treatment. Subjects are required to participate in 30-33 study visits and volunteer 40 hours of their time. Compensation for this study is $150 for completing all study activities.

    at UCLA

  • Pain and Opioids: Integrated Treatment In Veterans

    open to eligible people ages 21-75

    This trial will recruit veterans with chronic pain (N = 160) who are prescribed buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). We seek to: (1) examine the efficacy of an integrated treatment to reduce pain interference and substance misuse (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention [ACT + MBRP]) compared to an education control (EC) consisting of a protocol-based series of education sessions concerning chronic pain, opioids, and buprenorphine use and (2) examine how theoretically-relevant treatment mechanisms of pain acceptance, engagement in values-based action, and opioid craving are related to treatment outcomes. Interventions will be delivered via the VA Video Connect telehealth modality.

    at UCSF

  • Phenotyping Response to Spinal Cord Stimulation in Chronic Low Back Pain

    open to eligible people ages 18-80

    Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a debilitating condition and costly to treat. Long-term drug treatment often fails due to habituation, breakthrough of pain, or adverse effects of drug treatment. Opioid use to manage this pain has contributed to the opioid epidemic. Spinal cord stimulators have emerged as a promising treatment and reduces reliance on drugs. However, response to spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is unpredictable. It is difficult to predict which patients will respond positively to SCS because the physiological mechanism for treatment responsiveness is unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate how spinal cord stimulators affect functional measures in patients with CLBP, including functional MRI, neurophysiology, gait analysis, and questionnaires. The results of this study can lead to the widespread adoption of spinal cord stimulators as a safe and effective therapy for CLBP, reducing the reliance on opioids and mitigating the opioid epidemic's impact.

    at UCLA

  • Photobiomodulation for Lower Back Pain Post Spinal Fusion and Decompression Surgery

    open to eligible people ages 18-75

    After spinal fusion and decompression surgery there is a possible risk of developing chronic back pain. After surgery there is typically inflammation around the operation site and this inflammation can be painful and debilitating to patients. Many possible treatment plans have been incorporated to assist the patient with recovery - notably medications, physical therapy, and braces. However, few studies have looked at laser diodes that utilize high-power laser lights that are aimed at decreasing pain and inflammation. Investigators aim to look compare patients using a back brace with laser diodes within versus those who wear a normal brace used as a placebo. Investigators will also assess the patient's surgical wound to monitor the progression of wound healing while using the brace.

    at UCLA

  • CPAP for SDB in Patients Who Use Opioids

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Patients with chronic pain who use opioids appear to be at increased risk for breathing issues during sleep, termed sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Treatment of SDB often consists of use of a device during sleep that provides continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) via a mask interface. The goal of this study is to determine whether patients with chronic pain who use opioids and have SDB might benefit from the use of CPAP in terms of sleep quality, pain, quality of life, and other measures. In addition, the study will examine whether these individuals are able to adhere to CPAP, which will be important for future studies. Lastly, we anticipate that CPAP won't work for everyone due to the changes that opioids can cause in breathing patterns. We will examine how often CPAP is ineffective, and whether we can predict which individuals are least likely to resolve their SDB with CPAP.

    at UCSD

  • Psilocybin Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain

    open to eligible people ages 25-70

    This study evaluates whether psilocybin therapy helps patients cope with chronic low back pain more effectively. Patients may be recruited at Stanford and University of California San Francisco (UCSF), study procedures will occur at UCSF. Each participant will receive a dose of psilocybin with possibly one or more other drugs. Participants will undergo two preparation sessions, a dosing session, three integration sessions to discuss their psilocybin experience, and several follow up sessions.

    at UCSF

  • Regional Blocks for Lateral Condyle Fractures

    open to eligible people ages 4-12

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the post-operative pain control in pediatric patients with closed lateral condyle fractures who undergo open reduction and percutaneous pinning. Patients will be randomized into one of two groups. Group 1 will receive an infraclavicular nerve block to the affected extremity by a fellowship trained pediatric anesthesiologist prior to surgery. Group 2 will undergo the Orthopaedic Institute of Children's (OIC) standard preoperative protocol. Post-operative pain management will be the same for both groups per standard protocol. Pain level will be assessed post-operatively using the Wong-Baker FACES scale and parents will be asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding their satisfaction with the surgery and pain control. Parents will also fill out a medication log until the patient no longer requires pain medication. All patients in both groups will receive standard oxycodone solution prescriptions post-operatively as per typical protocol. The duration of participation in the study is approximately 1 week and requires 2 visits (time of recruitment at surgery and 1st post-op visit). This study is being conducted in hopes of developing comprehensive pain management protocols to reduce opioid consumption after surgical fixations of displaced lateral condyle fractures if the study can show that patients are more satisfied and require less opioid medication when receiving preoperative regional anesthesia.

    at UCLA

  • Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

    open to all eligible people

    Veterans with comorbid chronic pain and depression are highly prevalent, have poor functional status and low quality of life, are at increased risk of suicide and lack access to effective treatments. To address this problem, the proposed research will examine the feasibility of a novel approach that integrates repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with the overall goal of maximizing functional improvement in Veterans with chronic pain and depression. This is an important first-step in preparation for a future randomized efficacy trial. The investigators will also include two cognitive control tasks with concurrent electroencephalography to explore as a potential objective indicator of treatment response. This application addresses a critical need within the Veterans Health Administration and is closely aligned with the focus area of developing suicide prevention treatments that influence participation in life roles.

    at UCSD

  • Venlafaxine in Reducing Pain in Primary Total Knee Replacement

    open to eligible people ages 18-75

    Patients experience pain after their knee replacement surgery - and some may continue to experience persistent pain long after their knee replacement surgery. Traditional pain management strategies reply on pain medication such as opioids for pain control. However, these drugs do not work well for pain associated with movement or the the nerve pain (tingling, electrical sensations) after surgery. In addition, opioids are associated with significant side effects such as nausea, vomiting, respiratory depression, depression, cognitive dysfunction and risk of persistent opioid use. Neuropathic pain medications, such as venlafaxine are effective in managing nerve pain. Recent studies also support its potential role in acute pain management. Here, we propose a prospective randomized clinical trial 1) to evaluate the efficacy of Venlafaxine in reducing pain intensity and opioid consumption at post-operative day 1 (POD1) and 1- week after surgery, and 2) to examine whether the use of Venlafaxine will reduce the incidents of chronic postsurgical pain in TKA patients at 3-month time point.

    at UCSF

  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Chronic Neuropathic Pain

    open to eligible people ages 18-80

    Chronic neuropathic pain is defined as pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. It is highly prevalent, debilitating, and challenging to treat. Current available treatments have low efficacy, high side effect burden, and are prone to misuse and dependence. Emerging evidence suggests that the transition from acute to chronic neuropathic pain is associated with reorganization of central brain circuits involved in pain processing. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a promising alternative treatment that uses focused magnetic pulses to non-invasively modulate brain activity, a strategy that can potentially circumvent the adverse effects of available treatments for pain. RTMS is FDA-approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and migraine, and has been shown to reduce pain scores when applied to the contralateral motor cortex (M1). However, available studies of rTMS for chronic neuropathic pain typically show variable and often short-lived benefits, and many aspects of optimal treatment remain unknown, including ideal rTMS stimulation parameters, duration of treatment, and relationship to the underlying pain etiology. Here the investigators propose to evaluate the efficacy of high frequency rTMS to M1, the region with most evidence of benefit in chronic neuropathic pain, and to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify alternative rTMS targets for participants that do not respond to stimulation at M1. The central aim is to evaluate the pain relieving efficacy of multi-session high-frequency M1 TMS for pain. In secondary exploratory analyses, the investigator propose to investigate patient characteristic that are predictive of responsive to M1 rTMS and identify viable alternative stimulation targets in non-responders to M1 rTMS.

    at UCSF

  • Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Low Back Pain

    open to eligible people ages 21-85

    As a leading cause of disability worldwide, chronic low back pain (cLBP) represents a significant medical and socioeconomic problem with estimated health care spending of $87 billion/annually. The efficacy of dorsal column electrical stimulation to inhibit pain was first described over 50 years ago. Since then, several large clinical trials have investigated the therapeutic potential of electrical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and found that over 70% of patients with intractable pain had over 50% pain relief after 1 year of treatment. Thus, SCS is a promising therapeutic intervention that has superior patient outcomes when compared to traditional modalities for the treatment of cLBP. To date, SCS for treatment of cLBP has been delivered via epidural electrodes, requiring neurosurgical implantation. Although, the implantable stimulators have a low rate of adverse events, secondary complications associated with surgical intervention still occur.Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) is a rapidly developing non invasive neuromodulation technique in the field of spinal cord injury. Its application potentiates lumbosacral spinal cord excitability enabling motor functions, (e.g. independent standing, postural control) in patients with chronic complete motor paralysis. Given that epidural and transcutaneous SCS activate similar neuronal networks, tSCS for cLBP treatment may be advantageous due to its non-invasive nature which may also allow for a mass market production and rapid patient availability if tSCS is proven efficacious. In this pilot study we will establish the feasibility of tSCS to acutely improve patient reported outcomes (pain scores) and several objective measures, including sit-to-stand biomechanics, neurophysiological and neuroimaging outcomes.

    at UCSF

  • Transvaginal Electrical Stimulation for Myofascial Pelvic Pain

    open to eligible females ages 18-65

    Myofascial Pelvic Pain (MPP) is a frequently overlooked musculoskeletal cause of chronic pelvic pain affecting 10-20% of all adult women. Despite high prevalence and societal costs, few effective treatments exist and are difficult to access due to shortages of skilled personnel. Treatments for MPP using electrical stimulation to induce muscle fatigue have proven efficacy at reducing pain, improving circulation, and promoting tissue healing, but have proven difficult to implement in gynecologic practice. The aim of this three-arm randomized study is to evaluate the utility of transvaginal electrical stimulation at a fixed frequency of 200 Hz in women with symptomatic MPP in comparison to the standard, first-line treatment with education, stretching, and low-impact exercise. Nursing staff without prior training will be taught to deliver this high-frequency transvaginal electrical stimulation (HF-TES) treatment using the device. Responses to treatment provided by a specialist physician and licensed vocational nurse will be compared. Patients with >50% pain improvement will determine the effectiveness of HF-TES. Responses to treatment provided by a specialist physician and licensed vocational nurse will also be compared. Participants will be followed for 3 months following treatment completion.

    at UCLA

  • Valacyclovir in Pain Management of Acute Apical Abscesses

    open to eligible people ages 18-80

    The Virus in Endodontics (VE) phase I pilot study for preoperative pain will be analyzed and adjusted for the Phase II clinical trial. The Phase II clinical trial on preoperative pain, postoperative pain, and clinical healing will involve 250 patients. Patients will be recruited from the same pool of participants as the Phase II clinical trial. Preoperative cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans will be taken as well as three and six month postoperative CBCT scans. The secondary outcomes form the Phase II randomized clinical trial will be clinical success and visible radiographic healing determined by CBCT images.

    at UCSF

  • Virtual Reality (VR) for Prone Pain Procedures

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) distraction in patients undergoing interventional pain procedures in the prone position. VR has been shown to improve patient experience during interventional pain procedures, however, many of these procedures are done in the prone position making VR a challenge. This study will evaluate the effect of a VR headset and support in patients undergoing prone interventional pain procedures compared to control.

    at UC Davis

  • Brain Imaging Biomarkers for Response to Spinal Cord Stimulation in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

    open to eligible people ages 21 years and up

    In this protocol, "Brain imaging biomarkers for response to Spinal Cord Stimulation in patients with chronic low back pain," the investigators plan to perform brain mapping studies in 42 patients who are undergoing spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic low back pain (CLBP) as part of the participants normal clinical care during a 2-year period. This imagining study is completed for research purposes. There is no standard of care imaging for the participants. This study requires two visits in total. During the baseline visit, participants will undergo imaging acquisition protocol and corresponding assessments. Participants will have another follow-up visit (potentially remotely) for final assessments two weeks after the SCS treatment. The objective of the study is to investigate potential imaging biomarkers that can predict response to the SCS treatment. Specifically, the investigators hypothesize that the connectivity of a certain region of the brain (specifically the subgenual cingulate) prior to SCS may serve as a possible pre-operative imaging-based biomarker on response to SCS. The findings of the study may further enhance investigators understanding of the connectivity between brain areas that are critical to the therapeutic response to SCS in CLBP patients and that can be used as a putative biomarker to select patients who may respond to SCS.

    at UCLA

  • Pharmacodynamics, and Safety Profile of Understudied Drugs Administered to Children Per Standard of Care (POPS)

    open to eligible people ages 0-20

    The study investigators are interested in learning more about how drugs, that are given to children by their health care provider, act in the bodies of children and young adults in hopes to find the most safe and effective dose for children. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the PK of understudied drugs currently being administered to children per SOC as prescribed by their treating provider.

    at UCLA

  • Predicting Chronic Opioid Use Following Lower Extremity Joint Arthroplasty

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Personalized medicine is a concept in which medical care is individualized to a patient based on their unique characteristics, including comorbidities, demographics, genetics, and microbiome. After major surgery, some patients are at increased risk of opioid dependence. By identifying unique genetic and microbiome markers, clinicians may potentially identify individual risk factors for opioid dependence. By identifying these high risk patients early-on, personalized interventions may be applied to these patients in order to reduce the incidence of opioid-dependence.

    at UCSD

  • Predicting Chronic Pain Following Breast Surgery

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Breast surgery, which includes mastectomy, breast reconstructive surgery, or lumpectomies with sentinel node biopsies, may lead to the development of chronic pain and long-term opioid use. In the era of an opioid crisis, it is important to risk-stratify this surgical population for risk of these outcomes in an effort to personalize pain management. The opioid epidemic in the United States resulted in more than 40,000 deaths in 2016, 40% of which involved prescription opioids. Furthermore, it is estimated that 2 million patients become opioid-dependent after elective, outpatient surgery each year. After major breast surgery, chronic pain has been reported to develop anywhere between 35% - 62% of patients, while about 10% use long-term opioids. Precision medicine is a concept at which medical management is tailored to an individual patient based on a specific patient's characteristics, including social, demographic, medical, genetic, and molecular/cellular data. With a plethora of data specific to millions of patients, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) modalities to analyze big data in order to implement precision medicine is crucial. We propose to prospectively collect rich data from patients undergoing various breast surgeries in order to develop predictive models using AI modalities to predict patients at-risk for chronic pain and opioid use.

    at UCSD

  • StimRouter Registry Clinical Protocol

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    This Registry study will prospectively evaluate the long-term effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of the StimRouter Neuromodulation System, along with evaluating the technical performance of StimRouter, surgical outcomes, health-related quality of life, concomitant medical use, and subject's impression of improvement.

    at UCSD

  • Association of Microbiome Patterns With Chronic Opioid Use

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic, with the number of opioid-related deaths having risen six-fold since 1999. Chronic pain imposes a tremendous economic burden of up to US$635 billion per year in terms of direct costs (such as the costs of treatment) and indirect costs (such as lost productivity and time away from work). We need to better understand individual characteristics that may put patients at risk for chronic opioid use. Recently, the relationship between gut microbiome and diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems has received increasing attention. New evidence suggests that gut microbiota may also play a critical role in many types of chronic pain, including inflammatory pain, neuropathic pain, and opioid tolerance. Many signaling molecules derived from gut microbiota, such as pathogen-associated molecular patterns, metabolites, and neurotransmitters, act on receptors that regulate the peripheral and central sensitization, which in turn mediate the development of chronic pain. Gut microbiota-derived mediators serve as critical modulators for the induction of peripheral sensitization, directly or indirectly regulating the excitability of primary nociceptive neurons. Given the strong evidence supporting gut microbiome's involvement in pain pathways, there is a need to develop studies that characterize the differences in gut microbiome between chronic pain patients requiring opioids versus healthy controls. The objective of this proposal is to perform a pilot study measuring the predictive ability of the gut microbiome with chronic opioid use - this will then lay the groundwork to adequately power a larger funded prospective study.

    at UCSD

  • Test the Effects of Kindolor at Different Doses in Healthy Adults

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The goal of this study is to test Kindolor in healthy adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: - What is the safe dose of Kindolor in healthy volunteers? - How is Kindolor metabolized by the human body? Participants will undergo medical tests before and after receiving Kindolor or a placebo to see if there is any difference between the groups.

    at UCSD

  • Acupuncture in the Emergency Department for Pain Management

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Our goal is to use the R01 mechanism to conduct a two-arm multisite, feasibility RCT (Acupuncture vs Usual Care) to refine procedures for conducting a future fully powered multi-site RCT. The effort will be led by the BraveNet Coordinating Center at Einstein and include 3 BraveNet PBRN sites University Hospitals/ Case Western Reserve University (UH/Case), Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), and University of California-San Diego (UCSD). During Year 1 (Aim 1), we will develop the manualized acupuncture intervention with consensus from experts in the delivery of acupuncture for acute pain. At the end of Year 1 (prior to the start of the RCT), a study investigator meeting will be held to ensure consistent training of all study coordinators and acupuncturists to the study data collection, human subjects, intervention delivery, and reporting requirements. In Year 2-3 (Aim 2), we will enroll 165 participants (55 per site) into the randomized trial (1:1 assignment to Acupuncture or Usual Care) over a ~9-month enrollment period for each site. Sites will participate in the study sequentially, thus general findings from the implementation evaluation may be used to improve implementation at subsequent sites. Treatment outcomes include pain intensity, state anxiety and pain medication utilization within the ED (via EHR data extraction). In Aim 2a, 75 structured qualitative interviews of ED providers, staff, study acupuncturists (~10 per site) and acupuncture patients (~15 per site) and direct observation at each site will be used to identify barriers and facilitators of successful implementation. The Implementation Evaluation includes two broad categories of data: implementation outcomes (collected in Aim 2 as the feasibility study is conducted at each site) and explanatory factors (Aim 2a).

    at UCSD

  • Age-dependent Effects of Smoked and Oral Delta-9-THC

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    This study will assess the age-dependent effects of smoked and oral THC on abuse liability, intoxication, analgesia and impairment as a function of age.

    at UCLA

  • Can Single-Injection Adductor Canal Blocks Improve PostOp Pain Relief in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty?

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of a single injection adductor canal block (ACB) on pain scores within 24 hours post total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

    at UC Irvine

  • Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation for Refractory Chronic Pain

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Chronic pain affects 1 in 4 US adults, and many cases are resistant to almost any treatment. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) holds promise as a new option for patients suffering from treatment-resistant chronic pain, but traditional approaches target only brain regions involved in one aspect of the pain experience and provide continuous 24/7 brain stimulation which may lose effect over time. By developing new technology that targets multiple, complimentary brain regions in an adaptive fashion, the investigators will test a new therapy for chronic pain that has potential for better, more enduring analgesia.

    at UCSF

  • Closed-loop Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat Refractory Neuropathic Pain

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) holds promise as a new option for patients suffering from treatment-resistant chronic pain, but current technology is unable to reliably achieve long-term pain symptom relief. A "one-size-fits-all" approach of continuous, 24/7 brain stimulation has helped patients with some movement disorders, but the key to reducing pain may be the activation of stimulation only when needed, as this may help keep the brain from adapting to stimulation effects. By expanding the technological capabilities of an investigative brain stimulation device, the investigators will enable the delivery of stimulation only when pain signals in the brain are high, and then test whether this more personalized stimulation leads to reliable symptom relief for chronic pain patients over extended periods of time.

    at UCSF

  • Continuous Erector Spinae Plane Blocks to Treat Pain Following Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This is a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled parallel-arm human subjects clinical trial investigating the addition of a continuous erector spinae plane nerve block to a single-injection erector spinae plane block to provide postoperative analgesia following percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Participants will all receive a single-injection nerve block and perineural catheter insertion. Following surgery, participants will be randomly allocated to receive either perineural local anesthetic or normal saline until the second day following surgery.

    at UCSD

  • Dexmedotomidine for Acute Pain Control in Patients With Multiple Rib FracturesRandomized Controlled Trial

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Blunt chest trauma is the second most common form of unintentional trauma in the US and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Thoracic injuries are the third most common cause of death in trauma patients. Rib fractures have an increased associated risk of pneumonia, prolonged hospitalization, and cost. The associated severe pain leads to poor pulmonary mechanics, which contributes to additional complications. Treatment for rib fractures is focused on optimizing analgesia and intense pulmonary hygiene. Most common strategies utilize early mobilization, incentive spirometry (IS), and multimodal pain regimens. A variety of techniques for analgesia after blunt chest trauma exist. Epidural analgesia is one of the best-studied methods and can often provide significant pain relief. However, this method is invasive, has associated complications, and often can be contraindicated due to coagulopathy or other injuries. Most often a form of multimodal pain strategy is utilized which incorporates acetaminophen, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), trans-dermal lidocaine, and muscle relaxants. Opioids remain an important adjunct to control severe pain, however, narcotics have their own associated complications. The aim of our study is to use an infusion of dexmedetomidine (Precedex) to aid in pain management in patients presenting with 3 or more rib fractures. The investigators hypothesize that dexmedetomidine will decrease patient pain and opioid use.

    at UC Irvine

  • EPPIC: Easing Pelvic Pain Interventions Clinical Research Program

    Sorry, not currently recruiting here

    The EPPIC (Easing Pelvic Pain Interventions Clinical Research Program) study evaluates an ultra-brief, 4 session cognitive behavioral pain treatment transdiagnostic in design for urologic chronic pain syndrome (UCPPS) with clinical and practical advantages over existing behavioral therapies whose length and focus limits their adoption by clinicians and coverage for mechanistically similar comorbidities. A theoretically informed, practical, empirically grounded approach will systematically unpack CBT's working mechanisms, clarify for whom it works, ease dissemination, appeal to patients, providers, payers, and policy makers in the COVID-19 era favoring low resource intensity treatments, and reduce cost and inefficiencies associated with high intensity therapies whose complexity, length, and scarcity restricts uptake and impact.

    at UCLA

  • Gabapentin and Tizanidine for Insomnia in Chronic Pain

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    This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover trial aimed at assessing the effect of gabapentin and tizanidine, two pain medications, on insomnia in chronic pain patients.

    at UCSD

  • Integrating Nonpharmacologic Strategies for Pain With Inclusion, Respect, and Equity

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    INSPIRE creates a trilingual mobile app and telehealth coaching program to promote non-pharmacologic strategies for pain management with Black, Chinese, and Latinx communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Years 1-2 will develop the app and test it with a brief single arm pilot starting in Nov 2023. A full two arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) will being in early 2025 with changes in PEG scores as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include Helping to End Addiction Longterm (HEAL) common data elements.

    at UCSF

  • Jazz Music and Mindfulness for Chronic Pain

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    Chronic pain, including spinal pain and osteoarthritis, is the leading cause of years lived with disability world-wide and the costliest health condition in the U.S. today. Compounding these concerns, opioid analgesics remain the primary pharmacological treatment for chronic pain. An estimated 21-29% of chronic pain patients receiving long-term opioid therapy develop opioid misuse, and opioid misuse portends addiction and overdose. Clearly, chronic pain patients need better, non-addictive treatment options designed to reverse the downward spiral of chronic pain.

    at UC Irvine

  • Ketamine-assisted Therapy for Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

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    This clinical trial evaluates whether it is possible to use a single dose of oral liquid ketamine (ingested by mouth) in combination with talk therapy to treat moderate to severe demoralization in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who take opioids for cancer-related pain. PDAC patients often suffer from high rates of psychosocial distress and pain. Symptoms of anxiety are highly prevalent among PDAC patients. While opioid analgesia (pain reliever) succeeds in managing some symptoms, chronic opioid therapy is associated with significant adverse effects, underscoring a need to identify alternative interventions in the treatment of PDAC-associated pain. PDAC patients frequently suffer from existential distress. Demoralization is a form of existential distress that is common among people with serious medical illnesses; it is characterized by poor coping with stressful events, and a loss of meaning and purpose in life. Talk therapy is a form of psychological treatment during which patients discuss problems, thoughts, and feelings. Ketamine has demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of depression, suicidality, and pain in non-cancer patients. This study may help researchers learn whether both ketamine and talk therapy may improve psychosocial distress and pain, as well as decreases in opioid analgesic use in patients with PDAC who take opioids for cancer-related pain.

    at UCSF

  • Mindful Action for Pain

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    An emerging scientific model that has been applied to chronic pain is the psychological flexibility (PF) model. PF refers to the ability to behave consistently with one's values even in the face of unwanted thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations such as pain. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is the best known treatment derived from the PF model and is as effective as the gold standard Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), but falls short on achieving meaningful changes in functional improvement. Although ACT was designed to impact PF, methods from different treatment approaches are also consistent with the model. An experiential strategy that holds promise for enhancing PF is formal mindfulness meditation, a practice used to train non-judgmental awareness and attention to present-moment experiences, which has never been tested within the PF model. There is compelling theoretical and empirical rationale that the mechanisms underlying formal mindfulness meditation will bolster PF processes and thereby can be applied to facilitate functional improvement. To test this, the principal investigator, has developed a novel 8-week group-based intervention, Mindful Action for Pain (MAP), which integrates formal mindfulness meditation with experiential methods from different evidence-based treatment approaches in accordance with the PF model. MAP is designed such that daily mindfulness meditation practice is used to develop the capacity to more completely utilize strategies to address the key psychosocial barriers (e.g., pain catastrophizing) to optimal functioning. This CDA-2 project consists of two phases. Phase 1 (years 1 - 2) consists of using qualitative and quantitative methods to iteratively develop and refine MAP over the course of 4 MAP cycles (n = 20). Phase 2 (years 3 - 5) consists of a pilot RCT (n = 86) of MAP vs. CBT for chronic pain (CBT-CP) in order to establish feasibility of a future large-scale trial and estimate the preliminary impact of MAP. Functional improvement will be measured by reductions in pain interference (primary clinical outcome). Further, meditation adherence will be assessed to explore dose-response relationships with functional improvement, and objective measures of physical activity (actigraphy) will be captured to explore the psychophysical impact of MAP.

    at UCSD

  • Mindfulness Based Pain Reduction

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This is a development study with clinical outcomes. The investigators aim to develop and test an 8-week MBPR (Mindfulness-Based Pain Reduction) program, which draws on intervention work and clinical experience in the investigative team to optimize a mindfulness-based intervention for individuals with chronic pain. The overall goal of this study is to ensure that the MBPR program has been carefully refined and manualized in an in-person setting before performing clinical trials comparing MBPR to MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) to test whether it improves pain outcomes. This study includes a Pain Attention Task that separates insula activation during experimental heat application between different pain attention conditions.

    at UCSF

  • Music Genre Stereotypes to Boost Relaxation in Chronic Pain Patients

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    Social psychological research has demonstrated that internalized stereotypes affect people's attitudes and behaviors. Music-based interventions that rely on stereotypes might have promise for keeping participants engaged in health interventions, reducing stress, and improving wellbeing.

    at UC Irvine

  • Optimal Management of Pain in Hospitalized Patients - Opioid Tolerant Populations.

    Sorry, currently not accepting new patients, but might later

    Pain is a symptom that drives hospital admissions, and pain management is required by most patients during their hospital stay. Further, the use of medications such as opioids can lead to upward-spiraling doses, especially among chronic pain patients whose resource utilization rates are high. Many initiatives aim to reduce the costs of these "high-resource utilizing" patients. One exciting aspect of improving the management of pain is that this may help prevent patients from ever becoming high-cost in the first place. The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of an early and sustained intervention pathway, in comparison to the current standard of care, for the treatment of pain in opioid tolerant patients. It is hypothesized that patients randomized to the intervention pathway, in comparison to the control, will lead to decreased costs of care, a reduction in opioid usage within 3 and 6 months, and decrease in hospital readmission rates.

    at UC Irvine

  • Patient-Titrated Automated Intermittent Boluses of Local Anesthetic vs. a Continuous Infusion Via a Perineural Catheter for Postoperative Analgesia

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This will be a randomized comparison of continuous local anesthetic infusion with patient controlled boluses (PCA) to patient-titratable automated boluses with patient controlled boluses (PCA) for both infraclavicular and popliteal-sciatic perineural catheters. The overall goal is to determine the relationship between method of local anesthetic administration (continuous with PCA vs. titratable intermittent dosing with PCA) for these two perineural catheter locations and the resulting pain control. The investigators hypothesize that, compared with a traditional fixed, continuous basal infusion initiated prior to discharge, perineural local anesthetic administered with titratable automated boluses at a lower dose and a 5-hour delay following discharge will (1) provide at least noninferior analgesia during the period that both techniques are functioning; and, (2) will result in a longer overall duration of administration [dual primary end points].

    at UCSD

  • Percutaneous Auricular Neuromodulation for Postoperative Analgesia

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    The moderate-to-severe pain many patients experience following surgery is often treated with opioids, which are associated with side effects such as nausea/vomiting, sedation, and respiratory depression (and a risk of abuse, dependence, and diversion). Potent site-specific analgesia with fewer side effects may be provided with peripheral nerve blocks. However, these too have limitations such as a duration of action measured in hours, while the pain from surgery is usually measured in days or weeks. Peripheral nerve stimulation or "neuromodulation" is an alternative method of pain control involving the introduction of electrical current to stimulate various nerves that do not carry pain sensations, but which then decreases communication between pain fibers and the spinal cord and/or brain. Placing small electrodes specifically in the area of the ear is called "auricular neuromodulation" and is theorized to function by stimulating various cranial and peripheral nerves that influence a part of the brain called the "limbic system" which is involved with many aspects of behavior including responses to stress. A device that delivers auricular neuromodulation, the "Bridge" system, is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use to reduce symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal for up to 5 days. However, one prospective and two published retrospective studies suggest that it may provide postoperative analgesia as well. The device itself is relatively simple to apply; has few contraindications, side effects, or adverse events; and has no potential for dependence, abuse, or diversion. Therefore, it has the potential to concurrently improve analgesia and decrease or even negate opioid requirements following surgery, only without the limitations of opioids and peripheral nerve blocks. The purpose of this pilot study is to explore the possibility of treating postoperative pain with percutaneous auricular neuromodulation, optimize the study protocol, and estimate the treatment effect in preparation for developing a subsequent definitive clinical trial.

    at UCSD

  • Pudendal Enhancement of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) for Reconstructive Surgery (PEERS)

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Patients will undergo their vaginal reconstructive surgery in the usual manner, but will also be randomly assigned on the day of surgery to either receive the extra injection of numbing medication at the onset of surgery or not. The chances they will be assigned to the additional injection is 50%. Their care in the hospital and after surgery will be the same. They will participate in the study for a total of 6 weeks during which time they will be asked to complete two phone surveys, during which a provider will check in on pain level and pain medication use, and one office visit at 6 weeks. The office visit is part of their routine care and would be a scheduled visit regardless if they participated in the study or not. If they are unable to return to the office for a postoperative visit at 6 weeks, they will be contact by phone instead to obtain information on satisfaction with postoperative care, any complications after surgery, and overall how they are doing after surgery.

    at UCLA

  • Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields for Postoperative Analgesia: A Randomized, Triple-Masked, Sham-Controlled Pilot Study

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is a possible method of pain control involving the application of electromagnetic energy (also termed nonthermal, pulsed, shortwave radiofrequency therapy). Food and Drug Administration-cleared devices have been in clinical use for over 70 years. For decades, available devices consisted of a large signal generator and bulky coil applicator that were not portable and produced significant electromagnetic interference, making them impractical for common use. However, small, lightweight, relatively inexpensive, noninvasive, Food and Drug Administration-cleared devices that function for 30 days are now available to treat acute and chronic pain, decrease inflammation and edema, and hasten wound healing and bone regeneration. Therefore, it has the potential to concurrently improve analgesia and decrease or even negate opioid requirements, only without the limitations of opioids and peripheral nerve blocks. The purpose of this pilot study is to explore the possibility of treating acute postoperative pain with nonthermal, pulsed shortwave (radiofrequency) therapy, optimize the study protocol, and estimate the treatment effect in preparation for developing subsequent definitive clinical trials.

    at UCSD

  • Pulsed Shortwave Therapy for Postoperative Analgesia

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    Pulsed shortwave (radiofrequency) therapy is a possible method of pain control involving the application of electromagnetic energy (also termed pulsed electromagnetic fields). Food and Drug Administration-cleared devices have been in clinical use for over 70 years. For decades, available devices consisted of a large signal generator and bulky coil applicator that were not portable and produced significant electromagnetic interference, making them impractical for common use. However, small, lightweight, relatively inexpensive, noninvasive, Food and Drug Administration-cleared devices that function for 8 days are now available to treat acute and chronic pain, decrease inflammation and edema, and hasten wound healing and bone regeneration. Therefore, it has the potential to concurrently improve analgesia and decrease or even negate opioid requirements, only without the limitations of opioids and peripheral nerve blocks. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of treating acute postoperative pain with nonthermal, pulsed shortwave (radiofrequency) therapy, optimize the study protocol, and estimate the treatment effect.

    at UCSD

  • RCT of a Weighted Blanket to Reduce Pain in Veterans With Chronic Pain

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    Chronic pain is a major health concern for returning Veterans and is associated with decreases in quality of life. In addition, chronic pain is often accompanied by significant disturbance in sleep. Sensory interventions may offer effective, low-cost complementary tools for chronic pain and sleep disturbance in Veterans. Weighted Blankets (WB)- blankets sewn with weighted material inside to provide widespread pressure to the body- are a low-cost wellness product used for anxiety and sleep. WBs have demonstrated large reductions in insomnia, and the investigators have also shown that they can reduce the severity of chronic pain. However, effects and mechanisms of longer WB use have not been examined in individuals with pain and sleep disturbance. The investigators therefore propose a randomized controlled trial examining the effects of WBs on pain and sleep quality in Veterans. the investigators will recruit Veterans with chronic pain and sleep disturbance from the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) and VA San Francisco Healthcare System (VASFHS) and randomize 160 Veterans to receive either a light (3-lb; N = 80) or heavy (15-lb; N = 80) blanket. The investigators will remotely collect measures of pain (primary), pain catastrophizing, and pain medication use, as well as sleep disturbance (primary) and sleep efficiency and total sleep time over 6 weeks of overnight home use of the assigned blanket. The investigators will also explore physiological effects of WBs on sleep quality using actigraphy (exploratory) in VASDHS participants. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods will be deployed via smartphone to capture study adherence.

    at UCSD UCSF

  • ReActiv8 Implantable Neurostimulation System for Chronic Low Back Pain

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ReActiv8 for the treatment of adults with Chronic Low Back Pain when used in conjunction with medical management.

    at UCSD

  • Epidural Resiniferatoxin for the Treatment of Intractable Pain Associated With Advanced Cancer

    Sorry, currently not accepting new patients, but might later

    This Phase 2 study assesses the safety and efficacy of a single injection of Resiniferatoxin versus placebo for the treatment of intractable advanced cancer pain.

    at UCSD

  • BEST Trial: Biomarkers for Evaluating Spine Treatments

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The BEST Trial (Biomarkers for Evaluating Spine Treatments) is a NIAMS-sponsored clinical trial being conducted through the NIH HEAL Initiative's Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program. The primary objective of this trial is to inform a precision medicine approach to the treatment of Chronic Low-Back Pain by estimating an algorithm for optimally assigning treatments based on an individual's phenotypic markers and response to treatment. Interventions being evaluated in this trial are: (1) enhanced self-care (ESC), (2) acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), (3) evidence-based exercise and manual therapy (EBEM), and (4) duloxetine.

    at UCSD UCSF

  • VR Mindfulness Study

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    This is an exploratory study investigating the use of virtual reality-based guided mindfulness meditation in improving pain, stress, and mood within various clinical populations. The feasibility of utilizing VR applications within the populations of patients with various specific disease types and clinical settings is a burgeoning area of research. The goal is to establish an association between the use of VR-based mindfulness meditation, and pain, stress, and mood scores.

    at UCLA

  • Measuring Chronic Pain Impact: Measurement Enhancement for Chronic Pain

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Many complementary and integrative health approaches have been shown to be effective for chronic pain and included in guidelines. This evidence of effectiveness is built on hundreds of studies representing millions of research dollars, and the ability to analyze and better compare results across these studies is essential to obtain the full value of this investment. However, useful across-study comparisons which would allow better understanding and targeting of these interventions are hampered by at least two challenges: the lack of common outcome measures and the inability to meaningfully stratify or classify patients. The first two Aims of this study each address one of these two challenges. The last Aim takes advantage of this study to further test the viability of MTurk as a data collection platform. Specific Aim 1 addresses the lack of common outcome measures. This Aim is to develop and evaluate links or crosswalks between the PROMIS-29 and other common (legacy) measures used for chronic pain so that the results of studies using different measures can be compared. Our hypothesis here is that we will be able to create some sort of linkage between PROMIS and legacy measures that will allow for each pair estimates of one to be made from the other. Specific Aim 2 addresses the inability to meaningfully stratify or subclassify chronic pain patients. This Aim is to evaluate and refine the chronic pain impact stratification scheme (ISS) proposes by the NIH Research Task Force on chronic low back pain, which is based on 9 PROMIS-29 items. Our hypothesis here is that the ISS can be refined so that it can identify subgroups of chronic pain patients with different levels of morbidity and different needs for treatment. Specific Aim 3 addresses the potential for more efficient data collection using the MTurk platform. This Aim is to evaluate MTurk as a cost- and time-efficient method to collect quality data on individuals with chronic pain. Our hypothesis here is that we find that MTurk produces data of sufficient quality to be of use to future research projects.

    at UCLA

  • TARGET Post-Approval Study

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this prospective, multicenter, single arm post-approval study is to demonstrate continued safety of the Axium and Proclaim Neurostimulator System for dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation. The primary endpoint is the 12-month serious adverse event rate for permanent implants.

    at UCSF

Our lead scientists for Pain research studies include .

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