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CompletedNCT02684669TCI-NX-BIUpdated Feb 23, 2024

Effect of High-dose Target-controlled Naloxone Infusion on Pain and Hyperalgesia During a Burn Injury

A Phase 2 interventional study of Naloxone and Normal saline in Healthy Subjects, sponsored by mads u werner. Completed at 1 site in Denmark. Open to male participants aged 18 Years to 35 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-02-23.

Sponsored by mads u werner · Phase 2, Interventional, and Basic science

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
80
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 35 Years
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

In several rodent studies, it has been demonstrated that very high doses of opioid antagonists (i.e., naloxone 3-10 mg/kg) administered after weeks after recovery from an inflammatory injury may lead to a reinstatement of hyperalgesia and pain behavior. This latent sensitization has recently been demonstrated also to take place in humans.

The present study examines if it is possible to foresee individuals who will demonstrate a larger degree of latent sensitization upon challenge with an injury, than others. Using an enriched design high sensitizers (e.g., the upper quartile of individuals developing large areas of secondary hyperalgesia following a mild burn injury) are compared with low sensitizers (lower quartile), regarding the propensity for developing latent sensitization

Read the detailed description

Naloxone is a mu-opioid-receptor (MOR) antagonist drug, which dose-dependently exhibits hypo-algesic and hyper-algesic properties. Naloxone (and other MOR-antagonists) have been used in research to study the role of endogenous opioids in central processing of pain. It has been hypothesized that the endogenous opioid modulation of pain is impaired or altered in chronic pain conditions.

In a previous study using an electrical pain model in human patients, naloxone (21 microg/kg) increased the established area of secondary hyperalgesia. Further, administration of naloxone and naltrexone to animals following resolution of an inflammatory condition, have demonstrated a reinstatement of hypersensitivity to a noxious stimulus, indicating latent sensitization. It has thus been speculated that endogenous opioids may play an important role in the transition from acute to chronic pain in humans.

Recently, however, the investigators were unable to show reinstatement of secondary hyperalgesia after resolution of a burn injury by administrating naloxone in a low dose (21 microg/kg). Based on these finding the investigators hypothesized, that the negative results may be due to the low dose of naloxone or insufficient tissue injury to generate latent sensitization.

The systemic doses of opioid antagonists used in animal studies to demonstrate latent sensitization have been 0.3 to 3.0 mg/kg of naltrexone or 3-10 mg/kg of naloxone. Further, high doses of 1-2 mg/kg of naloxone have been used in clinical and experimental psychiatric, endocrinological, neurological and nutritional studies in patients and healthy individuals. In one pain related study, 6 mg/kg of naloxone was given to healthy patients intramuscularly. Only mild to moderate, transitory side-effects were recorded in these studies.

The investigators, therefore, initiated a second translational study in which it was hypothesized that a higher dose of naloxone (2 mg/kg) would reinstate secondary hyperalgesia in human patients following resolution of a mild burn injury and thus show latent sensitization in humans. The investigators demonstrated in 4 out of 12 patients that naloxone administered 7 days after a mild burn injury was associated with the reinstatement of secondary hyperalgesia.

The present study examines if it is possible to foresee individuals who will demonstrate a larger degree of latent sensitization upon challenge with an injury, than others. Using an enriched design high sensitizers (e.g., the upper quartile of individuals developing large areas of secondary hyperalgesia following a mild burn injury) are compared with low sensitizers (lower quartile), regarding the propensity for developing latent sensitization.

02

Conditions studied

  • Healthy Subjects

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Keywords

  • burn injury
  • controlled trial
  • latent sensitization
  • naloxone
  • secondary hyperalgesia
  • volunteers
03

In context

Burns

905 studies on the registry are indexed under Burns; 164 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 80 is above the median of 40 across 663 interventional studies indexed under Burns.

Browse Burns studies →

Lead sponsor

mads u werner is the lead sponsor of 4 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 35 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthy male
  • Signed
  • Urin-sample without traces of opioids (morphine, methadone, buprenorphine, codeine, tramadol, ketobemidone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, dextro-methorphan)
  • (BMI): 18 \< BMI \< 30 kg/sq.m

In addition Days 2-4:

  • Secondary hyperalgesia areas 1 hr after a burn injury belonging to the upper quartile (Q3: high-sensitizers [n = 20]) or the lower quartile (Q1: low-sensitizers [n = 20]) The selection is made during a separate test day (Day 0 [n = 80]).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participants, who do not speak or understand Danish
  • Participants, who cannot cooperate with the investigation
  • Allergic reaction against morphine or other opioids (including naloxone)
  • Abuse of alcohol or drugs - according to investigator's evaluation
  • Use of psychotropic drugs
  • Neurologic or psychiatric disease
  • Signs of neuropathy in the examination region
  • Previous severe trauma to the lower legs with sequelae
  • Scarring or tattoos in the examination areas
  • Chronic pain condition
  • Regular use of analgesic drugs
  • Use of prescription drugs one week before the trial
  • Use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs 48 hours before the trial
  • Does not develop measurable secondary hyperalgesia areas after BI
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(3)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

ASA physical status

The anaesthetists’ scale of health before surgery: I is healthy, II has a mild illness that is under control, III a severe one, IV a severe illness that is a constant threat to life. V and VI are used for the critically ill and for organ donors.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment
80 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    High-dose naloxone

    naloxone 4 mg/ml i.v. infusion, total 3.25 mg/kg, target controlled infusion with three infusion rates (0.25 mg/kg; 0.75 mg/kg; 2.25 mg/kg) each of 25 min duration.

    Drug: Naloxone

  • Placebo comparator
    Normal saline

    0.9% physiological saline, i.v. infusion, total 0.81 ml/kg, target controlled infusion with three infusion rates (0.06 ml/kg; 0.19 ml/kg; 0.56 ml/kg) each of 25 min duration.

    Drug: Normal saline

Interventions

  • active drug infusion

    Also known as: Naloxon "B. Braun"

  • DrugNormal saline

    placebo comparator

    Also known as: Physiologic Saline

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes in areas of secondary hyperalgesia will be assessed before and after naloxone/placebo administration by a weighted-pin instrument

    The secondary hyperalgesia area is determined using a "weighted-pin" stimulator (PinPrick stimulators, MRC Systems GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany; 128 mN \[2,606 kPa\]). The borders of the areas are assessed by stimulating along eight symmetrical lines, converging towards the center of the burn injury. The stimulation path starts at least 12 cm outside the borders of the burn injury area. The participants are instructed to report, with their eyes closed, when the perception of the stimulus changes from an innocuous pin-prick to a stinging, smarting and unpleasant sensation, and the position is indicated by a marker.

    Time frame: Baseline, 1h, 2h and 165h, and, (during target-controlled-infusion) 167h 35min, 167h 59min and 168h 25min after the burn injury

Secondary outcomes

  1. Pain during burn injury

    Assessments are obtained by a visual analog rating scale (VAS)

    Time frame: Baseline, ½min, 1min, 2min, 3min, 4min, 5min, 6min and 7min during the burn injury

  2. Pin-prick pain thresholds (PPT) assessed by weighted-pin instruments at primary and secondary hyperalgesia areas

    Pin-prick pain thresholds (PPTs) in the primary BI-area and in the secondary hyperalgesia area are assessed by "weighted-pin" stimulators (8 to 512 mN \[81 to 10,424 kPa\]), starting with the lightest pin-prick stimulator (8 mN), and applying a modified Dixon's up-and-down technique. Participants are instructed to report the number of stimuli perceived as unpleasant after a total of five pin-prick stimuli. The lowest pinprick force associated with ≥ 3 unpleasant stimuli is defined as the PPT. The median value of the five PPTs is used in further data analysis. The PPT-data (8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 mN) are converted to corresponding ordinal values 1 to 8, where the "cut-off" value of 8 is registered if no pain is elicited during assessment with the heaviest pin-prick stimulator (512 mN).

    Time frame: Baseline, 1h, 2h and 165h, and, (during target-controlled-infusion) 168h 25min after the burn injury

  3. Online Reaction Time

    Online Reaction Time is measured using http://getyourwebsiteherecom/jswb/rttest01.htm. This computer-application shows a red-green traffic light. Participants are instructed to press the button when the light changes from red to green. Three measurements are used and the median value is used as a representative estimate of reaction time.

    Time frame: Baseline, 1h, 2h and 165h, and, (during target-controlled-infusion) 167h 35min, 167h 59min and 168h 25min

  4. Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS)

    The Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) is an examiner-based scale evaluating signs of opioid-withdrawal. Grading of symptoms, i.e. heart rate changes, sweating, restlessness, pupil size, bone or joint aches, running nose or tearing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tremor, yawning, anxiety or irritability and "goose-flesh", are made in 11 categories. COWS-scores are divided into: 5-12 = mild; 13-24 = moderate; 25-36 = moderately severe ;\> 36 = severe withdrawal reactions.

    Time frame: Baseline and 165h, and, (during target-controlled-infusion) 167h 35min, 167h 59min and 168h 25min after the burn injury

  5. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

    The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is used to assess anxiety and signs of depression. Based on 14 questions about the subject's status in the previous week, HADS measures agitation/anxiety and depression via two subscales (each containing seven questions). Participants have to answer each question on a scale of 0 to 3. The two subscales are summed separately. The maximum score of each subscale is 21 points and a score of 11 or more points suggests that the participant might be suffering from anxiety or depression. In case of score \> 11 points in the depression subscale of the HADS, a physician will decide if there are clinical signs of depression. If there are signs of depression, this diagnosis will be told to the participant. The participant will be informed that the diagnosis of depression is based on clinical assessments - the HADS scale can be included in the diagnostic procedure. If it is the participants wish, he should visit his general practitioner for diagnosis

    Time frame: Baseline

  6. Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)

    The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) consists of 13 questions divided into three sections: rumination, exaggeration and helplessness. The questions are answered in accordance to a scale of 0 to 4. There is evidence of catastrophizing thoughts at a total score \> 30 points.

    Time frame: Baseline

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Neuroscience Center, Copenhagen University Hospital
    Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Edwards RR, Ness TJ, Fillingim RB. Endogenous opioids, blood pressure, and diffuse noxious inhibitory controls: a preliminary study. Percept Mot Skills. 2004 Oct;99(2):679-87. doi: 10.2466/pms.99.2.679-687. PubMed 15560360 ↗
  • Taylor BK, Corder G. Endogenous analgesia, dependence, and latent pain sensitization. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2014;20:283-325. doi: 10.1007/7854_2014_351. PubMed 25227929 ↗
  • Werner MU, Pereira MP, Andersen LP, Dahl JB. Endogenous opioid antagonism in physiological experimental pain models: a systematic review. PLoS One. 2015 Jun 1;10(6):e0125887. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125887. eCollection 2015. PubMed 26029906 ↗
  • Brennum J, Kaiser F, Dahl JB. Effect of naloxone on primary and secondary hyperalgesia induced by the human burn injury model. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2001 Sep;45(8):954-60. doi: 10.1034/j.1399-6576.2001.450806.x. PubMed 11576045 ↗
  • Pielsticker A, Haag G, Zaudig M, Lautenbacher S. Impairment of pain inhibition in chronic tension-type headache. Pain. 2005 Nov;118(1-2):215-23. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2005.08.019. Epub 2005 Oct 3. PubMed 16202520 ↗
  • Koppert W, Filitz J, Troster A, Ihmsen H, Angst M, Flor H, Schuttler J, Schmelz M. Activation of naloxone-sensitive and -insensitive inhibitory systems in a human pain model. J Pain. 2005 Nov;6(11):757-64. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2005.07.002. PubMed 16275600 ↗
  • Campillo A, Cabanero D, Romero A, Garcia-Nogales P, Puig MM. Delayed postoperative latent pain sensitization revealed by the systemic administration of opioid antagonists in mice. Eur J Pharmacol. 2011 Apr 25;657(1-3):89-96. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2011.01.059. Epub 2011 Feb 4. PubMed 21300053 ↗
  • Corder G, Doolen S, Donahue RR, Winter MK, Jutras BL, He Y, Hu X, Wieskopf JS, Mogil JS, Storm DR, Wang ZJ, McCarson KE, Taylor BK. Constitutive mu-opioid receptor activity leads to long-term endogenous analgesia and dependence. Science. 2013 Sep 20;341(6152):1394-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1239403. Erratum In: Science. 2013 Nov 8;342(6159):693. PubMed 24052307 ↗
  • Pereira MP, Werner MU, Ringsted TK, Rowbotham MC, Taylor BK, Dahl JB. Does naloxone reinstate secondary hyperalgesia in humans after resolution of a burn injury? A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, cross-over study. PLoS One. 2013 May 31;8(5):e64608. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064608. Print 2013. PubMed 23741350 ↗
  • Pereira MP, Donahue RR, Dahl JB, Werner M, Taylor BK, Werner MU. Endogenous Opioid-Masked Latent Pain Sensitization: Studies from Mouse to Human. PLoS One. 2015 Aug 25;10(8):e0134441. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134441. eCollection 2015. PubMed 26305798 ↗
  • Werner MU, Petersen KL, Rowbotham MC, Dahl JB. Healthy volunteers can be phenotyped using cutaneous sensitization pain models. PLoS One. 2013 May 9;8(5):e62733. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062733. Print 2013. PubMed 23671631 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — No plan to make individual participant data (IPD) available

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 23, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02684669
Lead sponsor
mads u werner
Collaborators
University of Kentucky
Responsible party
mads u werner (MD, DMSci, University of Copenhagen) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Feb 18, 2016
Start date
Feb 2016
Primary completion
Sep 2016
Completion
Jan 2017
Last update
Feb 23, 2024

Study contacts

Mads U Werner, MD, DMSc
principal investigator · Neuroscience Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
Bradley K Taylor, M.Sc., Ph.D.
study chair · Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drug tested here: Naloxone

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