Investigating Pain Mechanisms in Endometriosis - Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating pain mechanisms in endometriosis: a multimodal study to identify mechanisms and markers of central and inflammatory pain in women with endometriosis.
IRAS ID
163399
Contact name
Katy Vincent
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford, Clinical Trials and Research Governance Unit
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Endometriosis, the presence of lining of the womb in sites outside the womb, presents commonly with pain, which may be associated with periods, sexual intercourse, or long-standing pelvic pain. The mechanisms causing persistent pain in endometriosis are not fully understood. It is well known that the severity of pain is not related to the extent of endometriosis itself. Whilst many women find their pain improves after surgery and with medications, some women continue to be in pain or could recur after a period of improvement. Pain is a complex and emotional experience affected by many different factors. Pain can be generated in a number of ways, by nerve endings at the site of an injury (nociceptive); chemicals released by cells at the injured site (inflammatory) or damaged nerves both in and outside the brain (neuropathic/central). We hypothesise that all the above mechanisms contribute to pain in endometriosis, especially the neuropathic component, which may explain the inconsistent and varied clinical features and responses to therapy. This study aims to improve our understanding of the mechanisms generating and maintaining pain in women with endometriosis and the data we collect will cover the above aspects.
We intend to recruit women with endometriosis-associated pain, planned for surgery. The data collected includes a combination of questionnaires regarding their pain, brain scan to assess brain response to ongoing and stimulated pain and hormonal measurements in saliva and blood. During surgery, tissue from inside the abdomen and a sample from lining of the womb will be collected to assess the growth of nerves and tissue reaction. We hope to identify biomarkers and treatment targets for both inflammatory and neuropathic/central pain and hopefully, results from this study will rationalize recruitment to future clinical trials and aid in the development of personalized treatment regimen.REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SC/0372
Date of REC Opinion
18 Aug 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion