Actively Recruiting
Emotion and Memory in Chronic Neuropathic Pain
Led by University Health Network, Toronto · Updated on 2024-07-24
400
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
261 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Chronic pain affects one in four Canadians, leading to severe personal and societal costs. Over 70% of chronic pain patients report memory difficulties and fear having unexpected pain. Abnormalities in brain structures associated with emotion and memory, including the hippocampus and amygdala, can be affected by chronic pain. Understanding the relationship between chronic pain, structural brain changes, and cognitive functioning will lead to improved diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes in chronic pain disorders. In this project, the investigators will use advanced brain imaging techniques that assess the structure and function of the brain along with cognitive assessments to examine the overlap between chronic pain and emotion-memory processes. The study team will conduct the study using an excellent model of chronic pain-trigeminal neuralgia, a severe form of facial pain that responds well to surgical treatment. Brain images and cognitive data will be collected from participants before and after surgical treatment for pain. This information will be analyzed and compared with age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. This study will be the first to thoroughly investigate relationships between brain structure and function, cognition (memory, emotion), and promises to impact our understanding of chronic neuropathic pain conditions.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Emotion and Memory in Chronic Neuropathic Pain
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age between 35 and 60 years old
- No active major neurological or psychiatric disorders
- No contraindications for MRI
- Able to communicate well enough to complete tasks and questionnaires
- Montreal Cognitive Assessment score above 23 out of 30
- For trigeminal neuralgia patients: pain lasting over 6 months
- Stable medication use
- Diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia according to established criteria
You will not qualify if you...
- Other chronic pain or headache conditions
- Untreated high blood pressure or diabetes
- History of chronic drug or substance use disorder
- Chronic use of opioids or steroids
- Head trauma affecting cognitive performance
- Active psychiatric illness or current use of psychoactive medication
- History of multiple sclerosis, skull base injury, or brain tumors
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Toronto Western Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T2S8
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
J
Jacob Kim, BSc
CONTACT
P
Patcharaporn Srisaikaew, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
2
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