Human Pain Atlas for Sensory Neurons

Sponsor
King's College Hospital NHS Trust
Study ID
NCT07740681
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

  • Chronic Pain

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 75 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Microneurography — DIAGNOSTIC_TEST
    Electrophysiological technique that can record action potentials from individual peripheral nerve axons in humans. The test will be used to identify/rule out small nerve fibre dysfunction and measures of axonal excitability.

Study Details

This study aims to improve our understanding of how the nerves that detect and transmit pain signals work in humans. Chronic pain affects millions of people worldwide and can be difficult to treat because the biological mechanisms underlying pain are not yet fully understood. By gaining a better understanding of the human pain system, this research may help guide the development of more effective and personalised treatments for chronic pain in the future. The study will investigate sensory neurons, which are specialised nerve cells that detect sensations such as touch, temperature, and injury. We will examine both how these nerve cells respond to stimulation and the genes they express. By linking the activity of individual nerve cells with their molecular characteristics, we hope to identify specific types of sensory neurons that may contribute to chronic pain conditions. To achieve this, we will use a technique called microneurography. This involves inserting a very fine recording electrode into a peripheral nerve to measure the activity of individual nerve fibres directly in the body. These recordings will be performed in healthy volunteers and in patients. The information obtained will be combined with laboratory-based studies conducted by collaborators in Germany and France, allowing us to relate detailed biological findings to the experience of pain in humans. The results of this research will provide a detailed map of the human sensory nervous system and improve our understanding of how pain-signalling neurons function in health and disease. This knowledge may support the development of future treatments for chronic pain.

Key Dates

First listed
Jul 31, 2026
Start date
Sep 30, 2026
Status verified
Jul 2026
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2028
Completion
Sep 30, 2029

Study Design

Enrollment
200 participants (estimated)

Arms

  • Arm: Chronic pain
    Participants suffering from chronic neuropathic pain.
  • Arm: Healthy volunteers
    Healthy volunteers, defined by no clinically relevant abnormalities identified by a detailed medical history and a full physical examination.

Primary Outcome Measure

Assessment of molecular and functional mechanisms underlying chronic neuropathic pain [ Time Frame: Day 1 ]

Central Contacts

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