Pain Clinical Trials

The Investigators have recently published on differences in pain sensitivity measures between cis and trans individuals in the local area. The investigators observed the anticipated differences in pain sensitivity between CM and CW (CW \> CM), but found that the TW were phenotypically similar to CW in all measures. However, the investigators did not assess hormone level, nor did the investigators recruit TM participants. Here, with the assistance of two local community group stakeholders the investigators will recruit the following groups: CM, CW, TM+T (currently taking exogenous testosterone), TW+E (exogenous estradiol), TM, and TW (n=20/group). The investigators will use quantitative sensory testing to assess sensitivity to cold, pressure, and heat via standardized protocols. Blood samples will be taken for assessment of stress and reproductive hormone levels, immune cell populations and stimulated cytokine release. Finally, questionnaires will measure pain state, quality of life (QOL), voice QOL, body image, appearance, self-reported health, masculinity/femininity, community connectedness, gender role, sleep, depression, social support, adverse childhood experiences and stigma. Read Less

Endometriosis is a common cause of pelvic pain in women which has been historically under-studied and under-diagnosed. The goal of this research is to pilot-test the feasibility and acceptability of a manualized, single-session brief mindfulness-based intervention (BMBI) among participants with endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain (ECPP) who undergo surgical treatment, and gather preliminary data necessary for future studies assessing BMBI's impact on outcomes in surgically-treated ECPP. This pilot study will enroll 10-20 adult participants with ECPP to receive either a BMBI adjunctive to treatment as usual (TAU; n=5-10) or education with TAU (n=5-10) prior to their ECPP surgery. The central hypothesis is the BMBI is feasible to deliver pre-operatively, acceptable to patients, and may help improve acute post-surgical outcomes through more adaptive stress coping and pain processing, enabled by mindfulness training. Read Less

The overall objective of this study is to determine the feasibility of identifying transdiagnostic biomarkers of cognitive function mediated by neuromodulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex that are translatable across disease groups in order to more accurately phenotype clusters of cognitive dysfunction. Completing behavioral paradigms with electrophysiology and TMS is a challenging frontier. This study focuses on the feasibility of such an endeavor for those with chronic pain or depression as well as healthy controls. Read Less

This is a basic human experimental study utilizing 4 groups of individuals with and without HIV and complex morbidities of cannabis use disorder and major depression who will participate in 2 sessions of the Yale Pain Stress Task (YPST) and follow-up phase to assess drug use and mood symptoms. Read Less

The goal of this observational study is to learn how medical cannabis (MC) affects pain and the use of opioid pain medications. Participants who have chronic pain and use prescribed opioid pain medication will opt-in to using MC or not for the 3-month study. Participants who are certified in Pennsylvania will purchase specific medical cannabis products at a reduced cost from a partnering medical cannabis dispensary monthly. All participants will complete baseline, daily, and monthly assessments to observe changes across groups. Read Less

This is a two phase study. In phase 1, a focus group (N=5) will be conducted to adapt MBCT-T for use in the study population. In phase 2, a single-arm trial will be conducted examining four, weekly sessions of preoperative MBCT-T in subjects with high pain catastrophizing scheduled for spine surgery (N=20). Subjects will then be followed for two weeks postoperatively. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of acute pain on long-term memory and conditioned physiologic responses in the presence and absence of low dose nitrous oxide. Functional magnetic resonance imaging will be used to identify the neural correlates of these phenomena. The study will occur over 2 visits and involves no long-term follow up. Read Less

The proposed research is to determine the clinical efficacy and neurobiological mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia in patients with sickle cell disease. Read Less

The goal of this research study is to reduce stress and improve sickle cell disease (SCD) pain control and sleep quality with less opioid use by determining the feasibility of an intervention with self-management combined intercessory and petitionary prayer, named Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH) stress reduction intervention using a mobile smart device. Currently, opioid analgesics are primarily used to treat SCD pain while self-managed behavioral modalities such as PUSH, are rarely used. Little is known about the effects or mechanisms of PUSH on pain, stress, and sleep symptoms in adults with SCD. Emerging evidence from the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis theory offer insights for understanding the mechanisms. Adding PUSH as a supplement to analgesic therapies will address the dearth of self-management strategies for controlling pain in SCD. PUSH is a simple and cost-effective non-drug intervention that could reduce pain and stress in inpatients with SCD. GR is an intervention where inpatients with SCD are directed to listen to the audio recordings of the PUSH prayer session. Read Less

This study is a randomized controlled trial of a psychosocial pain management intervention called, Meaning-Centered Pain Coping Skills Training (MCPC). Patients with advanced solid tumor cancer and pain interference (N=210) will be randomized to MCPC or a standard care control condition. Patient-reported outcomes will be assessed at baseline and 8- and 12-week follow-ups. The risk and safety issues in this trial are low and limited to those common to a psychosocial intervention (e.g., loss of confidentiality). Read Less

Over one-quarter of American adults engage in hazardous drinking (i.e., a pattern of alcohol consumption that increases risk for harmful consequences), which is the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Rates of hazardous drinking are significantly higher among individuals with (vs. without) chronic pain. Moreover, 20% of individuals prescribed opioids endorse concurrent alcohol and opioid use, which may interfere with chronic pain treatment and lead to dangerous/potentially fatal health effects. No interventions to date have targeted either hazardous drinking or concurrent use of alcohol and opioids in the context of chronic pain. The current four-year R01 builds upon our past work by developing a brief, single-session, computer-based, personalized feedback intervention (PFI) designed to enhance knowledge regarding adverse pain-alcohol-opioid interrelations, increase motivation and intention to reduce hazardous drinking, and reduce positive attitudes and intention regarding concurrent use of alcohol and prescription opioid medications. Specifically, we will develop an integrated PFI for hazardous drinkers with chronic pain who are prescribed opioids (PA-PFI). Our approach will follow a staged model consistent with NIH guidelines for developing and standardizing behavioral interventions. Phase IA activities will involve collecting qualitative and quantitative feedback from three iterative focus groups (N = 21) to refine intervention content and evaluate treatment acceptability and feasibility. Phase IB activities will include a proof-of-concept and highly rigorous randomized clinical trial designed to compare PA-PFI to control PFI (C-PFI) among a sample of 174 hazardous drinkers with chronic pain who are currently prescribed opioid medications. This study represents an important and pivotal step in the larger landscape of translating basic research to more efficacious strategies for reducing hazardous drinking among underserved populations with medical comorbidities. This intervention would be highly disseminable and relevant to millions of hazardous drinkers with chronic pain. Given the collective public health impact of chronic pain, hazardous drinking, and concurrent alcohol-prescription opioid use, we believe the current study will yield findings that enhance scientific knowledge, enhance our understanding of mechanisms in reciprocal pain-alcohol-opioid relations, and inform the development of novel treatments for hazardous drinkers with chronic pain that are adaptable and easily implemented across a variety of healthcare settings. Read Less

The purpose of this research is to determine if a PET/MRI scan using FDG can accurately identify the source of chronic pain. Identifying the source of pain may help doctors treat chronic pain more effectively. Approximately 128 participants will be enrolled and can expect to be on study for up to 12 months. Read Less