Clinical trial NCT02488863: NEPAL (Neuromodulatory Examination of Pain and Mobility Across the Lifespan)
Official title: Neuroimaging Age-related Versus Pain-related Changes in Pain Modulation
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Musculoskeletal Pain
Pain, Chronic
Keywords: Older adults
Chronic Pain
Musculoskeletal
Lead sponsor: University of Florida
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
name: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
First posted: 2015-07-02
Enrollment: 105
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Older adults (60+ years old) who experience musculoskeletal pain as well as those who do not experience musculoskeletal pain; healthy young adults (18-25 years old).

Brief summary: Musculoskeletal pain represents the leading cause of disability worldwide. It has been traditionally attributed to peripheral mechanisms, but peripheral damage, inflammation, and psychological factors have failed to significantly account for the presence, absence, or severity of chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). Recent studies show that individuals with CMP exhibit dysfunctional pain modulation supporting a significant central nervous system (CNS) contribution. However, the CNS mechanisms underlying these changes in pain modulation are not currently known, nor is their relation to clinical pain progression. The proposed pilot examines brain circuits recently described in predicting the transition from acute to chronic pain, in predicting clinical and experimental pain changes as well as physical performance and mobility changes in older persons with musculoskeletal pain over a one year period. The findings will provide novel and important information regarding the mechanisms underlying aberrant pain processing and its functional consequences in older adults with musculoskeletal pain. The information learned can be subsequently used to target treatment and prevention strategies in future studies of older adults. The central hypothesis is that increased functional and structural connectivity of cortico-striatal regions will be significantly associated with baseline clinical and experimental pain and decreased physical function in persons with CMP and will account for more rapid clinical pain and disability progression over time.

Detailed description: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is the most common, non-malignant disabling condition that affects at least one in four older people. The most common painful musculoskeletal conditions among older adults are osteoarthritis, low back pain, fibromyalgia, chronic shoulder pain, knee pain, myofascial pain syndrome and previous fracture sites. Recent studies demonstrate generalized alterations of pain processing among older individuals with CMP. An improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying CMP-related changes in pain modulation will provide a basis for the development of targeted preventive and rehabilitative strategies. In light of evidence emphasizing plasticity of white matter connections, and the potential pain relieving effects of non-invasive brain stimulation interventions, it seems reasonable to identify these connections as potential targets for future treatment approaches. Given the expected growth of the older population, such strategies could have a monumental impact in reducing healthcare expenditures and improving the quality of life of older adults.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* older adults over 60 years of age with and without musculoskeletal pain
* healthy young adults between the ages of 18-25

Exclusion Criteria:

* pregnant women
* history of alcohol/drug abuse in the past
* known intra-cerebral pathology or epilepsy
* significant cognitive impairment as evidenced by the 3MS
* hospitalizations for mental health reasons in the past year
* not meeting MRI screening requirements (implants, prosthesis, artificial limb/joint, shunt, metal rods, hearing aid, claustrophobia or anxiety)
* chronic/current use of narcotic medications
* serious systemic (uncontrolled diabetes; self reported A1C\>7), neurological , or cardiovascular disease (uncontrolled hypertension \>155/90)
* liver or kidney disease
* inability to consent for study participation

Primary outcomes:
measure: Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)
timeFrame: At baseline-physical function visit
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Gainesville
country: United States
facility: UF & Shands Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute
state: Florida
city: Gainesville
country: United States
facility: UF Health Science Center
state: Florida
city: Gainesville
country: United States
facility: Clinical Translational Research Building
state: Florida
city: Gainesville
country: United States
facility: McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida
state: Florida
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Florida
name: Yenisel Cruz-Almeida, MSPH, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: