Genetic Variants Associated With Low Back Pain and Their Response to Treatment With Duloxetine or Propranolol

NCT ID: NCT03364075

Last Updated: 2018-08-28

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

TERMINATED

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

10 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-09-01

Study Completion Date

2018-05-31

Brief Summary

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This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, three period crossover clinical trial. The main purpose of this study is to determine if Chronic Low Back Pain patients presenting with either localized or widespread painful symptoms respond differently to treatment with Duloxetine or Propranolol, and if the effectiveness of treatment with these drugs can determined by the presence or absence of SNPs associated with the Serotonin receptor or Cathecol-O-MethylTransferase activity. Each treatment period will be of two weeks duration with a 1 week washout phase between treatment periods. Following a Latin square design, patients will be randomly assigned to one of six different treatment groups, starting their first treatment cycle with either Duloxetine, Propranolol or Placebo and rotating through the other treatments in the subsequent cycles. Effectiveness of treatment will be measured by means of Pain Index as the primary outcome measure, and secondary outcome measures will include Pressure Pain Threshold and the Pain Disability Index, Perceived Stress Scale, Symptom Checklist -90R and the Patient's Global Impression of Change questionnaires.

Detailed Description

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Low back pain disorders are reported in 19-21% of the North American population, with the majority of them associating pain and physical impairment. Patients with this illness have an increased utilization of medical services, higher incidence of lost work days and long-term disability, representing a significant burden to the healthcare system and the economy.

Within the population of CLBP patients, two broad subgroups can easily be identified in the clinical setting: the patients who present with CLBP as their only pain symptom, and patients that present with CLBP and also associate widespread painful symptoms. The presence of widespread painful symptoms in the setting of low back pain has been recognized as a strong predictor of chronicity, apart from this, patients in this subgroup are more commonly middle aged females, report higher intensity of pain, more emotional problems and sleep disorders amongst others.

A recent publication by Slate et al has described genetic differences in patients with Temporal Mandibular Disorder (TMD) that present with either localized or widespread painful symptoms. This study established a link between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) associated to the Serotonin Receptor and patients with localized TDM, and the presence of SNPs associated to the T cell receptor with patients with TMD and widespread symptoms. CLBP and TMD are two chronic pain conditions that are commonly present together. Given the connection between these two chronic pain disorders, it is highly likely that the genetic association findings from Slate et al could also be present in the CLPB population.

The main purpose of this study is to determine if CLBP patients presenting with either localized or widespread painful symptoms respond differently to treatment with Duloxetine, a Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI), and if the effectiveness of treatment with this drug can determined by the presence or absence of SNPs associated with the Serotonin receptor.

Another novel treatment alternative for patients with CLBP is Propranolol. This drug is a non-selective beta blocker that has also been shown to have analgesic effects on TMD. These effects though, are only present in patients carrying haplotypes associated with low activity of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). The effect of beta blockers as analgesics has not yet been fully characterized, in animal models, catecholamine stimulation of beta 2 and beta 3 adrenoreceptors has shown to produce hyperalgesia and allodynia, on the other hand, in the clinical setting, the beta 1 selective blocker Esmolol has also been shown to have an analgesic effect in postoperative acute pain management. The inclusion of Propranolol as one of the treatment arms of this study will help elucidate Propranolol's possible role in chronic pain management; the expectation being that a more prominent analgesic effect will be found in patients displaying low activity COMT haplotypes.

Patients will be recruited from the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) Pain Centre and from the Quebec Pain Registry.

This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, three period crossover clinical study. Each treatment period will be of two weeks duration with a 1 week washout phase between treatment periods. Following a Latin square design, patients will be randomly assigned to one of six different treatment groups, starting their first treatment cycle with either Duloxetine, Propranolol or Placebo and rotating through the other treatments in the subsequent cycles. The trial has a duration of 56 days total, and involves 6 clinic visits per participant, one at the beginning and at the end of each treatment cycle.

Randomization will be performed by a member of our research group that is not involved in the study using the online software (http//:www.randomization.com). The software's first generator will be used which randomizes each subject to a single treatment group by using the method of randomly permuted blocks. The randomization log will be provided to the pharmacy which will be in charge of dispensing the treatment.

All clinicians and researchers involved in the study data collection and experimental procedures will remain blinded to study group allocation for the duration of the study. Blinding will be maintained until the end for statistical analysis.

In case of serious adverse effects interfering with the patient safety, the blind responsible (pharmacy) will disclose the treatment to the MD of the MGH Pain Centre and that subject will be dropped out of the study.

Conditions

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Low Back Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators

Study Groups

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Duloxetine Treatment

patients treated with Duloxetine

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Duloxetine

Intervention Type DRUG

30 mg for seven days, then increased to 60 mg for seven days

Genotype for SNPs associated to Serotonin and COMT

Intervention Type GENETIC

DNA and RNA extraction from blood samples to identify genetic variants associated to pain pathways

Placebo Treatment

Intervention Type DRUG

1 capsule BID for two weeks

Propranolol Treatment

patients treated with Propranolol

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Propranolol

Intervention Type DRUG

40 mg for seven days, then increase to 60 mg for seven days

Genotype for SNPs associated to Serotonin and COMT

Intervention Type GENETIC

DNA and RNA extraction from blood samples to identify genetic variants associated to pain pathways

Placebo Treatment

Intervention Type DRUG

1 capsule BID for two weeks

Placebo Treatment

patients treated with placebo

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Duloxetine

Intervention Type DRUG

30 mg for seven days, then increased to 60 mg for seven days

Propranolol

Intervention Type DRUG

40 mg for seven days, then increase to 60 mg for seven days

Interventions

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Duloxetine

30 mg for seven days, then increased to 60 mg for seven days

Intervention Type DRUG

Propranolol

40 mg for seven days, then increase to 60 mg for seven days

Intervention Type DRUG

Genotype for SNPs associated to Serotonin and COMT

DNA and RNA extraction from blood samples to identify genetic variants associated to pain pathways

Intervention Type GENETIC

Placebo Treatment

1 capsule BID for two weeks

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Cymbalta TevaPropranolol

Eligibility Criteria

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Exclusion Criteria

1. Uncontrolled medical or psychiatric conditions.
2. History of major depressive disorder, psychotic disorder or schizophrenia, and/or manic episodes within the past year.
3. Pregnancy and/or breast-feeding. Patients who are unsure of their status will also be excluded from participating
4. Pain due to cancer.
5. Disability compensation or litigation.
6. Neurologic signs of lumbosacral radiculopathy within the past 6 months: lower extremity muscle weakness/sensory loss in a dermatomal distribution, abnormal deep tendon reflexes.
7. Radiographic and/or electrophysiology evidence of radicular compression in the past 6 months.
8. Clinical signs of lumbar stenosis within the past 6 months: numbness, weakness, and/or discomfort radiating from the spine down to the buttocks and legs while walking or in prolonged standing and relieved with sitting or lying.
9. Clinical signs of back pain that requires an urgent/alternative intervention: new onset bowel/bladder incontinence, saddle anaesthesia, foot drop, unexplained weight loss, fever.
10. Radiographic evidence of spinal stenosis, high-grade spondylolisthesis (grade 3 or 4), acute spinal fracture, tumour, abscess or acute pathology in the low back/abdominal area in the past 6 months.
11. Low back surgery (lumbosacral spine) within the past 12 months, or history of more than 1 low back surgery.
12. Minimally invasive procedures aimed to reduce pain in the lumbosacral area within the past month (Medial Branch Blocks/Ablations, Epidural Steroid Injections, Trigger point injections, Sacroiliac Joint Injections, Greater Trochanteric/Acetabulofemoral Joint Injections).
13. Known hypersensitivity to Beta Blockers or SNRIs.
14. Currently taking SNRIs, Beta Blockers, Opioids at a daily dose superior to 30mg of Morphine Oral Equivalent, Tricyclic Antidepressants, Methylene Blue, Linezolid, Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (such as Selegiline, Isoniazid, Procarbazine), Thioridazine, CYP1A2 inhibitors (Fluvoxamine, Verapamil, Cimetidine, Fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin).
15. Active alcoholism within the past 6 months.
16. Psychoactive recreational drug abuse within the past 6 months including MDMA, Ketamine, hallucinogens such as LSD and/or sympathomimetics such as Cocaine.
17. Patients with asthma, cardiac arrhythmias such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, renal failure or dialysis, liver insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism.
18. Heart rate less than 60 bpm or systolic/diastolic blood pressure less than 105/60 mmHg during the initial visit.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Mark Ware

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Mark Ware

BA, MBBS, MRCP, MSc

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Mark Ware, MBBS MRCP

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Director of Clinical Research Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit

Locations

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Centre for Innovative Medicine - McGill University Health Centre

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Site Status

Countries

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Canada

References

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Lim KL, Jacobs P, Klarenbach S. A population-based analysis of healthcare utilization of persons with back disorders: results from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2000-2001. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2006 Jan 15;31(2):212-8. doi: 10.1097/01.brs.0000194773.10461.9f.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16418643 (View on PubMed)

Von Korff M, Crane P, Lane M, Miglioretti DL, Simon G, Saunders K, Stang P, Brandenburg N, Kessler R. Chronic spinal pain and physical-mental comorbidity in the United States: results from the national comorbidity survey replication. Pain. 2005 Feb;113(3):331-339. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2004.11.010.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15661441 (View on PubMed)

Coyte PC, Asche CV, Croxford R, Chan B. The economic cost of musculoskeletal disorders in Canada. Arthritis Care Res. 1998 Oct;11(5):315-25. doi: 10.1002/art.1790110503.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9830876 (View on PubMed)

Koes BW, van Tulder M, Lin CW, Macedo LG, McAuley J, Maher C. An updated overview of clinical guidelines for the management of non-specific low back pain in primary care. Eur Spine J. 2010 Dec;19(12):2075-94. doi: 10.1007/s00586-010-1502-y. Epub 2010 Jul 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20602122 (View on PubMed)

Fairbank J, Gwilym SE, France JC, Daffner SD, Dettori J, Hermsmeyer J, Andersson G. The role of classification of chronic low back pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011 Oct 1;36(21 Suppl):S19-42. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e31822ef72c.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21952188 (View on PubMed)

Thomas E, Silman AJ, Croft PR, Papageorgiou AC, Jayson MI, Macfarlane GJ. Predicting who develops chronic low back pain in primary care: a prospective study. BMJ. 1999 Jun 19;318(7199):1662-7. doi: 10.1136/bmj.318.7199.1662.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10373170 (View on PubMed)

Natvig B, Bruusgaard D, Eriksen W. Localized low back pain and low back pain as part of widespread musculoskeletal pain: two different disorders? A cross-sectional population study. J Rehabil Med. 2001 Jan;33(1):21-5. doi: 10.1080/165019701300006498.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11480465 (View on PubMed)

Slade GD, Smith SB, Zaykin DV, Tchivileva IE, Gibson DG, Yuryev A, Mazo I, Bair E, Fillingim R, Ohrbach R, Greenspan J, Maixner W, Diatchenko L. Facial pain with localized and widespread manifestations: separate pathways of vulnerability. Pain. 2013 Nov;154(11):2335-2343. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.009. Epub 2013 Jul 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23867732 (View on PubMed)

Wiesinger B, Malker H, Englund E, Wanman A. Back pain in relation to musculoskeletal disorders in the jaw-face: a matched case-control study. Pain. 2007 Oct;131(3):311-319. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2007.03.018. Epub 2007 Apr 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17459585 (View on PubMed)

Millan MJ. Descending control of pain. Prog Neurobiol. 2002 Apr;66(6):355-474. doi: 10.1016/s0301-0082(02)00009-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12034378 (View on PubMed)

Tchivileva IE, Lim PF, Smith SB, Slade GD, Diatchenko L, McLean SA, Maixner W. Effect of catechol-O-methyltransferase polymorphism on response to propranolol therapy in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2010 Apr;20(4):239-48. doi: 10.1097/FPC.0b013e328337f9ab.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20216107 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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MUHC15046

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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