Fenobam on Heat/Capsaicin Induced Hyperalgesia in Healthy Volunteers

Overview

Our goal is to demonstrate that healthy volunteers treated with fenobam will develop a significantly reduced area of cutaneous hyperalgesia compared to volunteers treated with placebo, after exposure to the heat/capsaicin model of cutaneous sensitization. Additionally we are going to assess changes in mood/affect and cognitive function of subjects following administration of fenobam and after cutaneous sensitization compared to baseline.

Full Title of Study: “A Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo Controlled, Crossover Study to Investigate the Anti-hyperalgesic Efficacy of a Single Dose of Fenobam on Heat/Capsaicin Induced Cutaneous Hyperalgesia in Adult Healthy Volunteers.”

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
    • Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: February 2015

Detailed Description

All subjects will receive a topical dose of capsaicin cream 0.1%(Capzasin-HP) to the forearm at the start of the study visit. The order of the 2 treatment regimens indicated below will be randomized and blinded to subjects and researchers. Treatment Regimen 1: Fenobam [1-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-(1-methyl-4-oxo-2-imidazolidinylidine) urea hydrate]: administration of one 150 mg gelatin capsule. Treatment Regimen 2: Placebo (lactose monohydrate): administration of one 150 mg gelatin capsule.

Interventions

  • Drug: Fenobam
    • Fenobam 150 mg will be administered and subjects will be monitored for up to 8 hours. During the study day questionnaires will be administered, blood will be drawn a testing site will be marked and pain testing and heat/capsaicin sensitization will be measured.
  • Drug: Placebo
    • A placebo will be administered and subjects will be monitored for up to 8 hours. During the study day questionnaires will be administered, blood will be drawn a testing site will be marked and pain testing and heat/capsaicin sensitization will be measured.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: Treatment regimn 1
    • 150 mg Fenobam Orally – once
  • Placebo Comparator: Treatment Regimen 2
    • Placebo orally – once

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Suppression of the development of cutaneous hyperalgesia and allodynia around the area treated with heat/capsaicin.
    • Time Frame: During approximately 7 hours of consecutive assessments
    • size of the area of hyperalgesia and allodynia around the area sensitized by heat/capsaicin as quantified by cutaneous stimulation with foam brush strokes and a von Frey filament requiring 26 g of bending force.

Secondary Measures

  • Evaluation of nociception after drug administration as evaluated by prolonged (1 min) thermal stimulation on normal (untreated) skin.
    • Time Frame: During approximately 7 hours of consecutive assessments
    • Visual Analog Scale (VAS) rating of pain perception at 1 min 45°C heat stimulation on normal skin.
  • Assessment of Heat Pain Detection Thresholds (HPDT) in normal and sensitized skin pre and post treatment with fenobam.
    • Time Frame: During approximately 7 hours of consecutive assessments
    • lowest temperature perceived as painful with stimulation starting at 32°C and with a safety cut-off at 52°C.
  • Absence of significant side effects
    • Time Frame: 7 days
    • Determined by subjects’ monitoring during treatment sessions and follow up at 1 day and 1 week after treatment with drug.
  • Assessment of significant change in mood/affect
    • Time Frame: During approximately 6 hours of consecutive assessments
    • As determined by evaluation of the subjects by combined brief Positive And Negative Affect Scale/Brief State Anxiety Measure (PANAS/BSAM)
  • Assessment of significant change in cognitive function
    • Time Frame: During approximately 6 hours of consecutive assessments
    • As determined by evaluation of the Letter and Number Sequencing (LNS) assessment

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

1. 18-50 year old 2. Good general health with no remarkable medical conditions (e.g. liver, kidney, heart, or lung failure) 3. BMI between 20-33 4. Willing to comply with study guidelines as outlined in protocol [including: women of childbearing age must be willing to use a double-barrier method (e.g. oral contraception and condom) for contraception during participation in the study] 5. Willing to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria:

1. Anatomical malformation of upper extremities 2. Status post recent trauma or chronic lesions on either forearm 3. Medication use (includes vitamin, herbal, dietary and mineral supplements and grapefruit products during or within 14 days prior to study participation; excludes contraceptives) 4. History of allergy or intolerance to capsaicin 5. History of multiple drug allergies 6. History of addiction to drugs or alcohol (prior or present addiction or treatment for addiction) 7. History of chronic pain syndromes 8. Pregnant and nursing females 9. Smokers

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: 50 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • Laura Cavallone
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Sponsor-Investigator: Laura Cavallone, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology – Washington University School of Medicine
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Laura F Cavallone, M.D., Principal Investigator, Washington University School of Medicine

Clinical trials entries are delivered from the US National Institutes of Health and are not reviewed separately by this site. Please see the identifier information above for retrieving further details from the government database.

At TrialBulletin.com, we keep tabs on over 200,000 clinical trials in the US and abroad, using medical data supplied directly by the US National Institutes of Health. Please see the About and Contact page for details.