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Sleep and Neuropathic Pain - Intervention Study on Pregabalin

Sleep Structure in Neuropathic Pain Patients, Psychological Factors, Brain Connectivity, and the Effect of Pregabalin on Sleep and Pain

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06155916
Enrollment
40
Registered
2023-12-05
Start date
2022-11-22
Completion date
2026-12-31
Last updated
2025-03-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Insomnia, Neuropathic Pain, Sleep Disorder

Keywords

polysomnography, actigraphy, fMRI, pregabalin, neuropathic pain

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical study is to study sleep and its microstructure in neuropathic pain patients who have or who do not have a clinically significant sleep disturbance, before and during (after 1-month stabile dosage) pregabalin treatment. To find out whether reduced pain by pregabalin associates with improved sleep quality; to study, using resting state fMRI, brain network connectivity and the volume of the choroid plexus before and during pregabalin treatment (after dosage stable for one month) at baseline and during stabile treatment with pregabalin, and to compare the usability and reliability of sleep-related information collected with sleep diaries, actigraphy, iButtons, and ambulatory polysomnography in peripheral painful neuropathy patients. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is pregabalin more efficacious in neuropathic pain patients who suffer from insomnia compared to those with no clinically meaningful sleep disturbance? * Does sleep disturbance due to pain associate with brain network connectivity and may these changes be reversed by pregabalin treatment? Participants will * Fulfill e-questionnaires and keep sleep diary before and after 1month stabile pregabalin intervention * Before and after 1-month stabile pregabalin medication: 1-week Actiwatch monitoring, iButton (1 day and night), ambulatory polysomnography (1 night), brain fMRI. Researchers will compare patients with high ISI score patients to see if they benefit more from pregabalin treatment than those with low ISI score.

Detailed description

This is a clinical study to analyze sleep and pain and their response to pregabalin in 40 patients aged 18 to 75 years with chronic (duration\>3 months) moderate to severe pain (NRS ≥ 4/10) due to peripheral neuropathy. The investigators divide patients to two groups according to scores in ISI: the ones with clinically significant insomnia with score 15 or more (ISI High) and the ones without marked insomnia with score 14 or lower (ISI Low). Sleep will be assessed by a sleep diary, iButton, polysomnography and 1-week Actiwatch monitoring before and after 1-month stabile pregabalin dosage. Additionally, at these time points, several questionnaires regarding pain, sleep, mood, and quality of life and functional brain MRI will be performed. At pregabalin administration, the dose is added three to four day intervals, if tolerated by the patient. After a maximum tolerated dose has been stable for 1 month, the sleep studies, questionnaires, and brain fMRI are repeated. The study duration is about 3 months.

Interventions

DRUGPregabalin

Pregabalin administration and titration to the highest dosage that the patient tolerates. The patient continues with the highest dose for one month and the pre-intervention studies are repeated.

Sponsors

University of Helsinki
CollaboratorOTHER
Helsinki University Central Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Patients start with pregabalin at dose 25mg-75mg per day according to their preference and dose will be added by 25mg to 75 mg/ 4 days up to the highest dosage the patient tolerates (maximum 300mg twice daily). After having pregabalin stabile for one month with the highest tolerated dosage, post-examinations are repeated while still using pregabalin.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Chronic (duration \> 3 months) painful peripheral neuropathy * Pain moderate to severe (NRS ≥ 4/10) during the past week

Exclusion criteria

* psychotic depression, clinically significant bipolar disorder * contraindication for performing brain fMRI (metal in the body etc)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pregabalin response to painChange from baseline pain intensity and interference immediately after the interventionPain intensity and interference assessed by numeric rating scale
Pregabalin effect on sleep stagesChange from baseline immediately after the intervention1-night Ambulatory Polysomnography (NREM stage III)
Sleep disturbance associations to brain network connectivityChange from baseline immediately after the interventionBrain fMRI for brain network connectivity
Sleep disturbance associations to choroid plexus volume in brain fMRIChange from baseline immediately after the interventionBrain fMRI for choroid plexus volume measures
Pregabalin effect on circadian rhythmsChange from baseline immediately after the intervention1-week actigraphy
Pregabalin effect on body temperature during sleepChange from baseline immediately after the intervention1-night body temperature measurement by iButton

Countries

Finland

Contacts

Primary ContactHanna Harno, PhD
hanna.harno@hus.fi+358503427375
Backup ContactEija Kalso, PhD
eija.kalso@helsinki.fi+358504270609

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026