OPTION DM secondary analysis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Deep Analysis of Treatment Pathways for Neuropathic Pain following Diabetes Melitus: a secondary analysis of the Optimal Pathway for TreatIng neurOpathic paiN in Diabetes Mellitus (OPTION-DM) trial
IRAS ID
346608
Contact name
Jan Vollert
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Exeter
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Chronic pain, especially chronic pain that comes from an injury or disease affecting the nerves (so called “neuropathic pain”) is difficult to treat, and for many of those affected, the impact on their daily life is devastating. It is a problem that does not go away on its own, once chronic pain is established, people usually live with it for the rest of their lives.
Some treatments exist, however, while these are very effective for some people, they show almost no effect in others. At the same time, they can come with severe side effects. Patients often have to undergo a years-long trial and error procedure to find a treatment that works for them, personally. A better understanding of which medications will work for whom, and who is most likely to experience side effects, would greatly improve this situation and bring quicker relief and higher quality of life to those in need.
Here, we will use a rich dataset from a previous clinical trial (called OPTION DM) in which patients with neuropathic pain tried multiple medications to aim and find individual predictors for which treatments work for whom. We will use complex statistical modelling to try and unveil hidden structures that could not easily be found in the original study.
If successful, based on these findings, future recommendations can be adjusted to individual risk factors for side effects and chances of treatment success, so patients get quicker and safer relief for their chronic pain.REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/EE/0284
Date of REC Opinion
12 Dec 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion