Pain Clinical Trials in Houston, TX

This study aims to evaluate behavioral interventions in conjunction with medical rehabilitation to promote functional health in patients recovering from orthopedic surgery. Half of the subjects in this study will be assigned to an intervention that meets with a study therapist to discuss implementing healthy habits. The other half of subjects will assigned to an intervention group that meets with a study therapists to discuss implementing healthy sleep habits. Both groups will undergo several physical and cognitive assessments. Read Less

The first objective of the study is to evaluate whether a novel bio-signature (derived from a wide range of pro- and anti-nociceptive IL-1 family cytokine activity) will predict pain experienced and also release of underlying endogenous opioid neurotransmitters during an experimental nociceptive pain challenge, which will be performed while simultaneously quantifying mu-opioid receptor activity in the brain via \[11C\]-carfentanil PET neuroimaging in healthy subjects. Another objective is to evaluate whether an anti-inflammatory drug that reduces activation of IL-1b (minocycline) will perturb the balance between pro- and anti-nociceptive IL-1 cytokines and effect a reduction in pain experienced (and endogenous opioids released) during the experimental, nociceptive pain challenge. A final objective is to evaluate performance characteristics (sensitivity, accuracy, dynamic range) of the biosignature for the purpose of predicting post-operative pain. Read Less