Effect of Stellate Ganglion Block on ME/CFS

NCT ID: NCT05664711

Last Updated: 2024-12-06

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

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE1

Total Enrollment

10 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-03-15

Study Completion Date

2024-01-15

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to study the effects of stellate ganglion block (SGB) in participants with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does SGB treatment improve symptoms of ME/CFS (e.g. brain fog, fatigue)? Do changes in symptoms go along with changes in blood or saliva?

Participants will receive a total of six blocks over three weeks (one block on each side, one day apart, per week). Prior to treatment and at two points following treatment, participants will complete surveys, take a cognitive (puzzle type) test, and provide blood and saliva for analysis. Participants will measure their heart rate daily using a free smart phone app.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Encephalomyelitis, Myalgic Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Chronic Fatigue Disorder Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Postviral Fatigue Syndrome Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease Infectious Mononucleosis-Like Syndrome, Chronic Chronic Fatigue-Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Keywords

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ME/CFS myalgic encephalomyelitis chronic fatigue syndrome stellate ganglion block SGB cervical sympathetic block post-exertional malaise PEM exertional intolerance brain fog orthostatic intolerance

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Stellate Ganglion Block

The stellate ganglion and nearby cervical sympathetic ganglia will be blocked with 10 mL 0.5 percent bupivacaine under ultrasound guidance.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Bupivacaine Injection

Intervention Type DRUG

Reciprocal unilateral stellate ganglion blocks, separated by at least 16 hours, will be given once per week for three weeks (for a total of 6 blocks).

This study is not intended to be reported to FDA as a well-controlled study in support of a new indication for bupivacaine or to support any other significant change in the labeling for the drug.

Interventions

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Bupivacaine Injection

Reciprocal unilateral stellate ganglion blocks, separated by at least 16 hours, will be given once per week for three weeks (for a total of 6 blocks).

This study is not intended to be reported to FDA as a well-controlled study in support of a new indication for bupivacaine or to support any other significant change in the labeling for the drug.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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stellate ganglion block

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age (18-50 years)
* Female
* ME/CFS (CCC and IOM criteria) duration less than 4 years at time of study enrollment
* Confirmed or suspected viral disease prior to ME/CFS onset (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, Epstein-Barr, Influenza)
* BMI =18-29 kg/m\^2
* Ability to read, write and speak English language

Exclusion Criteria

* Prior SGB treatment
* Allergy to amide local anesthetics (e.g. ropivacaine, bupivacaine)
* Current anticoagulant use
* History of bleeding disorder
* History of glaucoma
* Infection or mass at injection site
* Anatomical abnormalities in C3-T1 region
* Current pregnancy
* Hypertension
* Diabetes (any type)
* Thyroid disease
* History of neck or throat surgeries
* Vocal cord problems or paralysis
* Causalgia/Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
* Current cancer diagnosis
* Diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome
* Diagnosis of current moderate or severe substance use disorder
* History of neurological disease, seizure, or significant head trauma
* Conditions or disorders (other than ME/CFS) that affect cognitive functioning including stroke, past or present diagnosis of psychosis or psychotic symptoms, diagnosis of bipolar I disorder, or severe depression
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

50 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Neuroversion, Inc.

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Deborah L Duricka, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Neuroversion, Inc.

Locations

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Neuroversion

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Liu LD, Duricka DL. Stellate ganglion block reduces symptoms of Long COVID: A case series. J Neuroimmunol. 2022 Jan 15;362:577784. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2021.577784. Epub 2021 Dec 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34922127 (View on PubMed)

van Campen CLMC, Rowe PC, Visser FC. Cerebral blood flow remains reduced after tilt testing in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Clin Neurophysiol Pract. 2021 Sep 23;6:245-255. doi: 10.1016/j.cnp.2021.09.001. eCollection 2021.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34667909 (View on PubMed)

Campen CLMCV, Rowe PC, Visser FC. Orthostatic Symptoms and Reductions in Cerebral Blood Flow in Long-Haul COVID-19 Patients: Similarities with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021 Dec 24;58(1):28. doi: 10.3390/medicina58010028.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Tokumasu K, Honda H, Sunada N, Sakurada Y, Matsuda Y, Yamamoto K, Nakano Y, Hasegawa T, Yamamoto Y, Otsuka Y, Hagiya H, Kataoka H, Ueda K, Otsuka F. Clinical Characteristics of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Diagnosed in Patients with Long COVID. Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 Jun 25;58(7):850. doi: 10.3390/medicina58070850.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35888568 (View on PubMed)

Umeyama T, Kugimiya T, Ogawa T, Kandori Y, Ishizuka A, Hanaoka K. Changes in cerebral blood flow estimated after stellate ganglion block by single photon emission computed tomography. J Auton Nerv Syst. 1995 Jan 3;50(3):339-46. doi: 10.1016/0165-1838(94)00105-s.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7714328 (View on PubMed)

Park HM, Kim TW, Choi HG, Yoon KB, Yoon DM. The change in regional cerebral oxygen saturation after stellate ganglion block. Korean J Pain. 2010 Jun;23(2):142-6. doi: 10.3344/kjp.2010.23.2.142. Epub 2010 May 31.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20556217 (View on PubMed)

Kang CK, Oh ST, Chung RK, Lee H, Park CA, Kim YB, Yoo JH, Kim DY, Cho ZH. Effect of stellate ganglion block on the cerebrovascular system: magnetic resonance angiography study. Anesthesiology. 2010 Oct;113(4):936-44. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e3181ec63f5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20823762 (View on PubMed)

Medow MS, Sood S, Messer Z, Dzogbeta S, Terilli C, Stewart JM. Phenylephrine alteration of cerebral blood flow during orthostasis: effect on n-back performance in chronic fatigue syndrome. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2014 Nov 15;117(10):1157-64. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00527.2014. Epub 2014 Oct 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25277740 (View on PubMed)

Staud R, Boissoneault J, Craggs JG, Lai S, Robinson ME. Task Related Cerebral Blood Flow Changes of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An Arterial Spin Labeling Study. Fatigue. 2018;6(2):63-79. doi: 10.1080/21641846.2018.1453919. Epub 2018 Mar 20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29707427 (View on PubMed)

Jason LA, Gaglio CL, Furst J, Islam M, Sorenson M, Conroy KE, Katz BZ. Cytokine network analysis in a community-based pediatric sample of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Chronic Illn. 2023 Sep;19(3):571-580. doi: 10.1177/17423953221101606. Epub 2022 May 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35570777 (View on PubMed)

Nkiliza A, Parks M, Cseresznye A, Oberlin S, Evans JE, Darcey T, Aenlle K, Niedospial D, Mullan M, Crawford F, Klimas N, Abdullah L. Sex-specific plasma lipid profiles of ME/CFS patients and their association with pain, fatigue, and cognitive symptoms. J Transl Med. 2021 Aug 28;19(1):370. doi: 10.1186/s12967-021-03035-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34454515 (View on PubMed)

Giloteaux L, O'Neal A, Castro-Marrero J, Levine SM, Hanson MR. Cytokine profiling of extracellular vesicles isolated from plasma in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study. J Transl Med. 2020 Oct 12;18(1):387. doi: 10.1186/s12967-020-02560-0.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33046133 (View on PubMed)

Wirth K, Scheibenbogen C. A Unifying Hypothesis of the Pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Recognitions from the finding of autoantibodies against ss2-adrenergic receptors. Autoimmun Rev. 2020 Jun;19(6):102527. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2020.102527. Epub 2020 Apr 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32247028 (View on PubMed)

Che X, Brydges CR, Yu Y, Price A, Joshi S, Roy A, Lee B, Barupal DK, Cheng A, Palmer DM, Levine S, Peterson DL, Vernon SD, Bateman L, Hornig M, Montoya JG, Komaroff AL, Fiehn O, Lipkin WI. Metabolomic Evidence for Peroxisomal Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jul 18;23(14):7906. doi: 10.3390/ijms23147906.

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Mandarano AH, Maya J, Giloteaux L, Peterson DL, Maynard M, Gottschalk CG, Hanson MR. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients exhibit altered T cell metabolism and cytokine associations. J Clin Invest. 2020 Mar 2;130(3):1491-1505. doi: 10.1172/JCI132185.

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Jonsjo MA, Olsson GL, Wicksell RK, Alving K, Holmstrom L, Andreasson A. The role of low-grade inflammation in ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) - associations with symptoms. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2020 Mar;113:104578. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104578. Epub 2019 Dec 26.

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33219396 (View on PubMed)

Sugimoto M, Shimaoka M, Taenaka N, Kiyono H, Yoshiya I. Lymphocyte activation is attenuated by stellate ganglion block. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 1999 Jan-Feb;24(1):30-5. doi: 10.1016/s1098-7339(99)90162-1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9952092 (View on PubMed)

Yokoyama M, Nakatsuka H, Itano Y, Hirakawa M. Stellate ganglion block modifies the distribution of lymphocyte subsets and natural-killer cell activity. Anesthesiology. 2000 Jan;92(1):109-15. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200001000-00021.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10638906 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Related Links

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https://solvecfs.org/research/ramsay-research-grants/meet-the-researchers/

Solve M.E. Ramsay Grant 2022-2023-- Meet the Researchers

https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Last Reviewed: November 25, 2022

Other Identifiers

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20193104

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id