Neuroimaging in painful diabetic neuropathy and fibromyalgia v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Functional neuroimaging in patients with painful and non-painful diabetic neuropathy
IRAS ID
139834
Contact name
Jonathan Brooks
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Research summary
The number of people in the UK with diabetes is set to rise to over 4 million by 2025. Approximately half of patients with diabetes will also develop nerve damage (or “neuropathy”). Some patients with neuropathy will also experience severe on-going pain (which is difficult to treat), whilst others do not. It is not clear whether the pain experienced by some patients is due to changes in the nerves located in the brainstem and brain, which work together to either suppress or amplify incoming pain signals. In patients with similar amounts of diabetic neuropathy we will compare the nerve responses in those with or without pain, using a combination of sensory tests and imaging techniques. During sensory testing we will apply hot and cold stimuli to the arms and legs of patients, and ask them to rate whether they feel the stimulus and how intense it is. We will also use a series of pin-prick stimuli, which are delivered using a series of blunt probes, to test general sensation. To test patients’ ability to suppress incoming pain signals they will immerse their hand in cold or warm water, and be asked to rate the intensity of a painful hot stimulus on the opposite arm. During brain imaging a series of painful, but not skin-damaging, heat stimuli will be applied to the arms whilst patients simultaneously perform a visual distraction task, this will enable us to “see“ how the nerves in the brainstem and brain respond. We will compare responses in patients with and without painful diabetes, to see whether the response is different between the 2 groups, and whether it can explain why some patients experience pain and others do not. In addition we will record images that check on the integrity of the “wiring” between nerves.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/SC/0617
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jan 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion