ClinicalTrials.gg
Not yet recruitingNCT06468384Updated Jun 21, 2024

Sympatholytic Effects of High Thoracic Erector Spinae Plane Block: Changes in Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter

An observational study in Complex Regional Pain Syndromes, sponsored by Pamukkale University. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-06-21.

Sponsored by Pamukkale University · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Aug 2024, 2 years 2 months ago, but the record still lists the study as not yet recruiting.

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Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
15
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

The thoracic erector spinae plane (ESP) block is suggested to potentially affect the stellate ganglion, a key component of the sympathetic nervous system, thereby influencing autonomic functions. Changes in optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) are used as indicators of intracranial pressure changes. This study aims to investigate the effects of the ESP block on ONSD, providing insights into its impact on the stellate ganglion and enhancing the understanding of the ESP block's safety and efficacy.

Read the detailed description

The thoracic erector spinae plane (ESP) block is a regional anesthesia technique. This technique involves the injection of local anesthetics into the deep layers of the erector spinae muscles, blocking both somatic and visceral pain pathways. Although various studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of this technique in different clinical situations over the years, further research is needed to understand the precise mechanisms behind its neuroanatomical effects.

The stellate ganglion, an important component of the sympathetic nervous system, plays a crucial role in the regulation of several autonomic functions. It has been suggested that the ESP block may affect the stellate ganglion through its injection at the upper thoracic levels. Changes in the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) have been used as an important indicator of intracranial pressure changes. Any potential changes in ONSD following stellate ganglion blockade could help elucidate the effects of the ESP block, thus aiding in the understanding of its safety and potential benefits for analgesia.

The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in optic nerve sheath diameter in patients undergoing the thoracic ESP block, which could provide more information on the impact of the ESP block on the stellate ganglion. By doing so, we aim to gain further insights into the potential analgesic effects and safety of the ESP block.

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Conditions studied

  • Complex Regional Pain Syndromes
03

In context

Complex Regional Pain Syndromes

206 studies on the registry are indexed under Complex Regional Pain Syndromes; 55 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 15 is below the median of 58 across 44 observational studies indexed under Complex Regional Pain Syndromes.

Browse Complex Regional Pain Syndromes studies →

Lead sponsor

Pamukkale University is the lead sponsor of 342 studies on the registry; 61 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
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

  • Adults with neck, shoulder, and arm pain
  • Those with complex regional pain syndrome

The study will include 15 adult patients who are planned to receive T2-ESP block treatment.

  • Age between 18-65 years
  • Both genders
  • ASA physical status I-II

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

  • Adults with neck, shoulder, and arm pain
  • Those with complex regional pain syndrome

The study will include 15 adult patients who are planned to receive T2-ESP block treatment.

  • Age between 18-65 years
  • Both genders
  • I-II

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Those who refuse procedures and tests
  • Individuals with conditions that can increase intracranial pressure
  • Those with severe heart failure
  • Individuals with second or third-degree atrioventricular block
  • Those with a history of unstable angina
  • Individuals with or chronic asthma
  • Those who have experienced a myocardial infarction (MI) within the last 6 weeks
  • Individuals with a heart rate below 50 beats per minute
  • Those with systolic blood pressure below 90 mmHg
  • Individuals with liver failure
  • Those with kidney failure
  • Individuals for whom a supraclavicular block is anatomically impossible
  • Those with neurological or psychological conditions that complicate test evaluation
  • Individuals allergic to any of the study medications
  • Pregnant individuals
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

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.

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.

COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe out, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
15 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Patients Undergoing Thoracic Erector Spinae Plane Block

    The study focuses on a cohort of adult patients who are receiving the thoracic erector spinae plane (ESP) block for pain management. These patients include individuals experiencing pain in the shoulder, arm, or neck, as well as those with complex regional pain syndrome. The patients are generally healthy adults, categorized under ASA I-II (American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification System). The primary aim of the study is to observe changes in optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) following the ESP block and to investigate the potential impact on the stellate ganglion. Data will be collected through clinical examinations and ultrasound performed before and after the ESP block procedure. The study aims to enhance understanding of the ESP block's safety and potential autonomic effects.

    Procedure: thoracic erector spinae plane (ESP) block

Interventions

  • Procedurethoracic erector spinae plane (ESP) block

    The thoracic erector spinae plane (ESP) block is a regional anesthesia technique used for pain management in complex regional pain syndrome. This procedure involves injecting 20 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine into the deep layers of the erector spinae muscles. The patient is positioned appropriately, and the injection site is identified using anatomical landmarks and ultrasound guidance, at the T2 level. A needle is then inserted perpendicularly until it contacts the transverse process, at which point the local anesthetic is administered. The primary objective is to provide significant pain relief.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD)

    To investigate the change in optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) following the thoracic erector spinae plane (ESP) block.

    Time frame: Before the block and 30 minutes after the block.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Pain relief Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

    The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is a tool for measuring pain intensity, using a line marked with "no pain" (0) at one end and "worst pain imaginable" (10) at the other. Patients mark a point on the line that reflects their pain level, and the distance from the "no pain" end to the mark is recorded as the VAS score. This straightforward, subjective measure provides a quantitative assessment of pain, useful for tracking changes over time, evaluating treatment effectiveness, and enhancing communication between patients and healthcare providers.

    Time frame: Pain levels will be assessed using the VAS before the block, 30 minutes after the block, and 24 hours later to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.

  2. Monitoring of Perfusion Index (PI)

    The perfusion index (PI) is a numerical value that reflects the pulsatile blood flow in peripheral tissues, measured non-invasively using a pulse oximeter. It indicates the strength of the blood flow at the sensor site, providing valuable information about peripheral perfusion.

    Time frame: All perfusion index (PI) values will be measured at 3-minute intervals using 2 pulse oximeter sensors on both the blocked and contralateral unblocked upper extremities up to 30 minutes after local anesthetic injection.

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

References and documents

Publications

  • Chin KJ, El-Boghdadly K. Mechanisms of action of the erector spinae plane (ESP) block: a narrative review. Can J Anaesth. 2021 Mar;68(3):387-408. doi: 10.1007/s12630-020-01875-2. Epub 2021 Jan 6. PubMed 33403545 ↗
  • Shirodkar CG, Munta K, Rao SM, Mahesh MU. Correlation of measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter using ultrasound with magnetic resonance imaging. Indian J Crit Care Med. 2015 Aug;19(8):466-70. doi: 10.4103/0972-5229.162465. PubMed 26321806 ↗
  • Kim E, Lim JA, Choi CH, Lee SY, Kwak S, Kim J. Assessment of the changes in cardiac sympathetic nervous activity using the pupil size changes measured in seated patients whose stellate ganglion is blocked by interscalene brachial plexus block. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2023 Apr;76(2):116-127. doi: 10.4097/kja.22324. Epub 2022 Oct 24. PubMed 36274253 ↗
  • Maissan IM, Dirven PJ, Haitsma IK, Hoeks SE, Gommers D, Stolker RJ. Ultrasonographic measured optic nerve sheath diameter as an accurate and quick monitor for changes in intracranial pressure. J Neurosurg. 2015 Sep;123(3):743-7. doi: 10.3171/2014.10.JNS141197. Epub 2015 May 8. PubMed 25955869 ↗
  • Kim MS, Yoon KB, Yoon DM, Kim DH. Effect of cervical sympathetic block on optic nerve sheath diameter measured by ultrasonography. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2015 Jun;41(6):1599-604. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.01.025. Epub 2015 Mar 5. PubMed 25747936 ↗
  • Dautzenberg KHW, Zegers MJ, Bleeker CP, Tan ECTH, Vissers KCP, van Geffen GJ, van der Wal SEI. Unpredictable Injectate Spread of the Erector Spinae Plane Block in Human Cadavers. Anesth Analg. 2019 Nov;129(5):e163-e166. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004187. PubMed 31107261 ↗
  • Forero M, Peng P, Chan P. Horner syndrome following high thoracic erector spinae plane block. Can J Anaesth. 2022 Mar;69(3):400-401. doi: 10.1007/s12630-021-02177-x. Epub 2021 Dec 13. No abstract available. PubMed 34902105 ↗
  • Elkoundi A, Eloukkal Z, Bensghir M, Belyamani L. Priapism following erector spinae plane block for the treatment of a complex regional pain syndrome. Am J Emerg Med. 2019 Apr;37(4):796.e3-796.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2019.01.012. Epub 2019 Jan 11. PubMed 30660341 ↗
  • Hong JH, Park JH, Park KB, Lee JY. Sympatholytic Effect of the High Thoracic Erector Spinae Plane Block. Pain Physician. 2024 Jan;27(1):43-49. PubMed 38285034 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Start is estimated for Jun 2024; primary completion for Aug 2024, 2 months later.

Of 18 observational studies under Complex Regional Pain Syndromes, half reached primary completion within 68 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 147. This study's planned 2 months is below that.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jun 15, 2024
First posted
Jun 21, 2024
StartEst.
Jun 20, 2024
Primary completionEst.
Aug 20, 2024
CompletionEst.
Sep 20, 2024
Last update
Jun 21, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 21, 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
NCT06468384
Responsible party
ismet çopur (principal investigator, Pamukkale University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jun 21, 2024
Start date
Jun 20, 2024 (estimated)
Primary completion
Aug 20, 2024 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 20, 2024 (estimated)
Last update
Jun 21, 2024

Study contacts

ismet çopur, MD
Contact
cpr.ismet@gmail.com
05318469060 ext. 90
seher İlhan, Ass. prof
Contact
seheri@pau.edu.tr
5326061086 ext. 90

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Jun 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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