Characterisation of pain in patients with musculoskeletal disease.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Characterisation of pain in patients with musculoskeletal disease: a prospective, longitudinal, observational study.
IRAS ID
252762
Contact name
NA CTRG
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Clinical Trials and Research Governance
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN00000000
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 5 months, 16 days
Research summary
Conditions of the musculoskeletal system, which affect joints, muscles ligaments and bones, are common and often painful. It is hugely frustrating for sufferers, and can affect many aspects of their lives. We used to think that the pain was directly due to the pain signals from the joints or other tissues where the pain is being experienced. There is now evidence that this is not the only explanation for the pain and it may be related to changes in the chemical transmitters involved in the body’s pain detection system in the brain.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain can be used to show how patients may have different brain responses to pain, even though their symptoms may be very similar. We will subgroup patients according to information about the symptoms that a patient is experiencing, as well as measurements of their pain thresholds as well as their brain based responses to pain. In turn this may help us to predict who will find one type of treatment more helpful than a different one. In the future, we hope that this will help more patients to manage their symptoms better.
This study will focus on patients who have been diagnosed with either fibromyalgia or inflammatory arthritis and have been advised to start a new treatment by the doctors looking after them. This may be a standard medication used for arthritis, or a programme of exercise combined with talking therapies. The study will follow patients for a period of 12 months after starting this treatment. Many of the visits will be conducted alongside planned appointments at the hospital for their routine clinical care, but some extra research visits will take place in the research centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital where brain scans are done for research purposes.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0168
Date of REC Opinion
5 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion