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CompletedNCT04864964Updated Nov 8, 2021

the Value of Sensory Index in Trigeminal Neuralgia

An interventional study of combined conventional and pulsed radiofrequency (CCPRF) in Pain, Chronic, sponsored by National Cancer Institute, Egypt. Completed at 1 site in Egypt. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-11-08.

Sponsored by National Cancer Institute, Egypt · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 6 years 11 months after the study started (first participant enrolled May 2014, registered Apr 2021).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
34
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

Interventional therapies for Trigeminal Neuralgia are of variable efficacy and safety, and have different results for different periods of time before the recurrence of symptoms. Interventional therapy for TN is either destructive with trigeminal nerve sensory function destroyed intentionally or non-destructive with decompression of the trigeminal nerve and preservation of its regular function. The most common procedures in treating TN pain are the use of radiofrequency (RF). the aim of this study is to assess the possible value of motor index as a prediction of success of radiofrequency lesioning of the Gasserian ganglion during treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

Read the detailed description

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is defined by the International Headache Society (IHS) as "unilateral disorder characterized by brief electric shock-like pains, abrupt in onset and termination, and limited to the distribution of one or more divisions of the trigeminal nerve". It is considered the worst type of facial pain and described as intense, sharp, stabbing, and shooting like electric shock pain. It can be triggered by touch, chewing, laughing, shaving or face wash .

The IHS suggests a classification of TN as either classic (essential or idiopathic) TN (CTN) or symptomatic TN (STN; pain indistinguishable from that of CTN, but caused by a demonstrable structural lesion other than vascular compression).Treatment of TN is conservative, surgical or interventional. Pharmacotherapy with carbamazepine is tried early in cases of TN but has many side effects .Other medications can be used in the treatment of TN, include oxycarbazepine, gabapentin, pregabalin, baclofen, valproate, clonazepam, phenytoin, and lamotrigime .

The most clinically appropriate treatment includes surgical microvascular decompression (MVD), stereotactic radiation therapy, gamma knife (SGK), percutaneous balloon decompression, percutaneous glycerol rhizolysis, percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) of the Gasserian ganglion (GG), and GG stimulation and neuromodulation. Interventional therapies for TN are of variable efficacy and safety, and have different results for different periods of time before the recurrence of symptoms. Interventional therapy for TN is either destructive with trigeminal nerve sensory function destroyed intentionally or non-destructive with decompression of the trigeminalnerve and preservation of its regular function. The most common procedures in treating TN pain are the use of radiofrequency (RF) .

Radiofrequency thermos-coagulation of the GG is thought to selectively destroy the pain fibers by thermos-coagulation at > 65°C , that helps reduce pain and prevent triggering, but can cause bothersome dysesthesia. Another method, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) which defined as the delivery of short pulses of RF via a needle tip, thereby a short exposure at the same temperature will result in less thermal tissue destruction (6).

Combined conventional and pulsed radiofrequency (CCPRF) achieved comparable pain relief to PRF treatment alone in patients with chronic pain, the combination of PRF and CRF would increase the effect of CRF and reduce the need for long-duration CRF (LCRF) and its attendant side effects .

The main objective of this study is to assess the possible value of motor index as a prediction of success of radiofrequency lesioning of the Gasserian ganglion during treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

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Conditions studied

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In context

Trigeminal Neuralgia

135 studies on the registry are indexed under Trigeminal Neuralgia; 44 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 34 is below the median of 40 across 92 interventional studies indexed under Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Browse Trigeminal Neuralgia studies →

Lead sponsor

National Cancer Institute, Egypt is the lead sponsor of 133 studies on the registry; 29 are open to participants now.

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

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with trigeminal neuralgia, diagnosed in accordance with the International Headache Society (7) and with a visual analogue score (VAS) for pain of at least 7 or more for a minimum of 3 months before the intervention .
  • Patients on a stable analgesic regimen for 2 weeks (consisting of at least two analgesics, including anticonvulsants) before the intervention .
  • Patients examined by use of MRI/A of the brain to exclude secondary neuralgia.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with severe mental or psychiatric disorders
  • Patients with history of drug abuse, high intracranial tension and history of MVD, SGK, balloon compression, RF treatment, or glycerol injection
  • The possibility of vascular loop compression and other causes of TN
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
34 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Other
    combined conventional and pulsed radiofrequency of trigeminal nerve nucleus

    The technique of the CCPRF is described as follows; 1. the classic Hartle technique is used to reach the Gasserian ganglion 2. Sensory stimulation with the RF equipment is conducted and parathesia of the affected branch is achieved at 0.1-0.2 V (50 Hz), keeping in mind that the mandibular part of the Gasserian ganglion is ventrolateral and the ophthalmic rootlets are postrolateral. Motor pre-stimulation (2 Hz) is achieved with masseter contraction at 0.1-0.3 V . 3. After sensory and motor stimulation, RF therapy is conducted by use of the RF generator , in the sequence: * Conventional RF 1st lesion at 60 °C for 60 s then 2nd lesion at 65°C for 60 seconds then 3rd lesion at 70°C for 60 seconds * Finally, PRF is applied for 360 second repeated at 45 V, with a pulse width of 10 ms and a pulse frequency of 4 Hz. The cut-off needle tip temperature is set at 42 °C. 4. Before withdrawal of needle 1 cc xylocaine 1% + 0.5 cc dexamethasone 4mg to be given .

    Procedure: combined conventional and pulsed radiofrequency (CCPRF)

Interventions

  • Procedurecombined conventional and pulsed radiofrequency (CCPRF)

    Patients with trigeminal neuralgia who underwent combined conventional and pulsed radiofrequency (CCPRF) for treatment of pain.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Motor index

    Change of the visual analogue scale score, from 0 to 100 , where 100 means worst pain

    Time frame: 2 weeks

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Study locations

1 site
  • National Cancer Institute
    Cairo, 11796, Egypt
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — contacts personal details are not planned to be shared but the results can be shared after publication

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 8, 2021, 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
NCT04864964
Lead sponsor
National Cancer Institute, Egypt
Responsible party
Ehab Hanafy Shaker (Associate Professor of Anesthesia, intensive care and Pain releif, National Cancer Institute, Egypt) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 29, 2021
Start date
May 1, 2014
Primary completion
Oct 28, 2019
Completion
Jul 15, 2020
Last update
Nov 8, 2021

Study contacts

Ehab H Shaker
principal investigator · National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Nov 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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