Actively Recruiting
Pain Phenotyping in Patients With Neuropathic Pain After Spinal Cord Injury
Led by University of Zurich · Updated on 2026-05-15
300
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
N/A
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
U
University of Zurich
Lead Sponsor
S
Swiss National Science Foundation
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are investigating the underlying causes of neuropathic pain that can develop after a spinal cord injury (SCI). This study aims to understand the changes in the pain-sensing pathway and the interaction between the sensory and autonomic nervous systems in people with SCI. The focus is on how these changes relate to the development and persistence of neuropathic pain using advanced sensory and pain assessments. Participants will undergo various diagnostic tests including quantitative sensory testing to measure pain sensitivity, neurophysiological tests for pain processing, and cardiovascular assessments such as blood pressure and heart rate variability. The study includes groups with spinal cord injury with or without neuropathic pain, patients with peripheral neuropathy, and healthy volunteers. Some participants will be followed over time from 1 month up to 12 months, while others will have a single assessment in the chronic phase (1 year post-injury). During the study, participants will complete pain drawings and undergo tests measuring pain intensity and extent, sensory responses to thermal and mechanical stimuli, and autonomic nervous system reactions like pupil size changes. The study also collects data through neurographies and evoked potential measurements. Safety and neurological function will be monitored throughout the study, which may last up to 12 months, with some assessments occurring cross-sectionally at one year after injury or diagnosis.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Pain Phenotyping in Patients With Neuropathic Pain After Spinal Cord Injury
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Aged between 18 and 80 years
- Spinal cord injury (traumatic or non-traumatic), including para- and tetraplegic, complete or incomplete, with or without neuropathic pain
- Peripheral neuropathy affecting the nervous system, with or without neuropathic pain
- For longitudinal study: SCI or peripheral neuropathy less than one month ago
- For cross-sectional study: SCI or peripheral neuropathy more than one year ago
- Healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 80 years without medical conditions affecting the nervous system
You will not qualify if you...
- Inability to follow study instructions
- Pregnancy
- Medically manifested psychological disorder
- Medical conditions affecting the peripheral or central nervous system other than the targeted experimental condition (e.g., additional peripheral neuropathy in SCI participants)
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - Once at enrollment
Participants undergo various diagnostic tests including neurophysiology, cardiovascular tests, experimental pain paradigms, quantitative sensory testing, clinical pain phenotype assessments, and pupillometry to evaluate pain and sensory function.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - Up to 12 months
Participants are monitored over time to assess changes in clinical pain phenotype, sensory evoked potentials, neurographies, sensory testing, pain modulation, and cardiovascular responses up to 12 months after injury or diagnosis.
Multiple visits over 12 months
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Balgrist University Hospital
Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, 8008
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
M
Michèle Hubli, PD Dr.
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
4
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