Evaluating the Role of Neuroinflammation in Low Back Pain

Completed · Phase 2 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Low Back Pain, Back Pain With Radiation, Back Pain Without Radiation, Back Pain Lower Back Chronic, Back Ache, Pain, Chronic

In brief

In this research, the study team will use brain imaging to evaluate the presence of neuroinflammation in the brains and spinal cords of patients with low back pain. The efficacy of minocycline use for low back pain treatment will also be evaluated by observing whether short-term minocycline administration will reduce neuroinflammation and low back pain symptoms.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03106740

Run by

Marco Loggia

People needed

60

Starts

2017-10-10

Expected to finish

2024-04-30

Last updated by the study team

2026-02-11

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 75. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• the ability to give written informed consent
• fluency in English
• on a stable pain treatment
• Chronic or sub-acute low back pain

You may not qualify if…

• no interventional pain procedures during drug trial
• contraindications to MRI and PET scanning (including presence of a cardiac pacemaker or pacemaker wires, metallic particles in the body, vascular clips in the head or previous neurosurgery, prosthetic heart valves, claustrophobia)
• pregnancy or breast feeding
• any use of recreational drugs in the past 6 months
• allergy to minocycline or other tetracyclines, or taking medications known to interact with minocycline
• any other contraindications to minocycline administration

Where it is running

• Massachusetts General Hospital — Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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