Pain in Peripheral Nerve Lesions (PiPL)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pain in Peripheral Nerve Lesions
IRAS ID
241777
Contact name
Annina Schmid
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Clinical Trials and Research Governance
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Peripheral neuropathy (injury to peripheral nerve fibres) and can be caused for instance by mechanical nerve compression (e.g., entrapment neuropathies), metabolic neuropathies (e.g., diabetes mellitus) or genetic neuropathies (e.g., channelopathies).
A subset of patients with a neuropathy develops nerve related (neuropathic) pain. Why some individuals develop neuropathic pain as a consequence of peripheral neuropathy and others do not is currently unclear. The PIPL study will help us to determine whether factors such as the severity of neuropathy, psychological factors or genetic predisposition may explain why some patients do or do not develop neuropathic pain.
Despite invasive (e.g., surgery) or conservative management (e.g., physiotherapy, medication), many patients continue to suffer from chronic neuropathic pain. Currently, the prognosis and prognostic factors for pain persistence remain unclear due to the lack of longitudinal cohort studies. PIPL will enable us to determine the prognosis of nerve dysfunction and neuropathic pain and to identify potential prognostic factors in patients with different peripheral neuropathies.
The main questions for the PIPL study are:
1. To prospectively evaluate prognostic factors for pain persistence in patients with different peripheral neuropathies
2. To assess the temporal profile of neuropathy and neuropathic pain in patients with different peripheral neuropathies
3. To identify differences in phenotype and genotype of patients with peripheral neuropathies with and without neuropathic pain
In order to achieve these goals, we will include both a cross sectional and longitudinal cohort of patients with different peripheral neuropathies and healthy volunteers. They will all undergo a detailed examination using questionnaires, nerve conduction studies, sensory testing, nerve fibre analysis in skin biopsies and genetic testing in blood samples.REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/SC/0263
Date of REC Opinion
31 May 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion