Investigation of the Relationship Between Pain Sensitization and Diagnostic Parameters in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

NCT ID: NCT06043141

Last Updated: 2025-09-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-10-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-05-30

Brief Summary

The aim of this observational, cross-sectional study is to investigate the relationship between pain sensitization and ultrasonographic and nerve conduction studies in patients diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Can threshold values be determined ultrasonographically and electrodiagnostically in patients who develop pain sensitization?
• Are pressure pain threshold values and central sensitization inventory scores correlated with ultrasonographic and nerve conduction studies of the median nerve?

Detailed Description

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment and the main mechanism is compression of the median nerve under the transverse ligament at the wrist level. Its incidence varies between 6.3-11.7% in the general population. In CTS, neuropathic complaints such as numbness, burning and tingling in the palmar face of the first two fingers, which are the innervation area of the median nerve, and fatigue in the hand are the most common symptoms. However, it has been reported that these complaints in most patients are not limited to the innervation area of the median nerve but also spread to other neighboring areas. This has been found to be associated with the development of central sensitization in CTS patients, and extra-median symptoms are suggested to be a clinical marker of pain sensitization. The term central sensitization is explained as an increase in pain sensitivity due to the amplification of neuron-derived signals in the central nervous system.Research shows that ongoing damage to the median nerve stimulates neurons located in the central nervous system, advancing the central sensitization process. Although the diagnosis of CTS is made electrodiagnostically with typical clinical findings, in recent years ultrasound has been frequently used in the diagnosis of CTS because it is non-invasive, fast and reliable. Cross-sectional area and echogenicity of the median nerve are the most frequently evaluated parameters at the carpal tunnel with ultrasound. Studies focus on the clinical relationship of central sensitization in CTS, but its relationship with ultrasonographic and electrodiagnostic data is not yet known.Based on this, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between pain sensitization and electrodiagnostic and ultrasonographic parameters in patients diagnosed with CTS.

Conditions

Central Sensitisation; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: CASE_CONTROL
• Study Time Perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

Nerve ultrasound

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel and adjacent levels

Nerve conduction studies

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Upper extremity nerve conduction studies including median-ulnar sensory and motor responses

Pressure pain threshold

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Pain pressure threshold (PPT) is used to measure deep muscular tissue pain sensitivity.

Control group

Healthy control

Nerve ultrasound

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel and adjacent levels

Pressure pain threshold

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Pain pressure threshold (PPT) is used to measure deep muscular tissue pain sensitivity.

Interventions

Nerve ultrasound

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel and adjacent levels

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Nerve conduction studies

Upper extremity nerve conduction studies including median-ulnar sensory and motor responses

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Pressure pain threshold

Pain pressure threshold (PPT) is used to measure deep muscular tissue pain sensitivity.

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Other Intervention Names

PPT

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome based on clinical and electrodiagnostic findings
• Agreeing to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria

• Concomitant history of diabetes, systemic inflammatory disease, active infection and malignancy
• Having a disease with neuropathic pain such as polyneuropathy, radiculopathy,multiple sclerosis
• Not agreeing to participate in the study
• History of surgery due to CTS

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Sultan Abdulhamid Han Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Feyza Nur Yucel

Specialist

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Emre Ata, Asst.Prof

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi

Locations

Sultan Abdülhamid Han Training and Research Hospital

Istanbul, Uskudar, Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Other Identifiers

23-517

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id