Neural Correlates of Auriculotherapy

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Chronic Pain

In brief

Chronic pain continues to be a major health issue, creating a significant societal burden, as it is an independent risk factor for opioid use disorder (OUD) and deaths. Acute pain episodes can often engender OUD due to lack of effective strategies to treat pain and prevent the transition to chronic pain. One potential non-opioid method for pain relief is auriculotherapy (AT), where acupuncture-like treatment is administered to the ear. The objective of this pilot study is to illustrate that AT-related brain effects can be found using functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) in patients with low back pain.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06358287

Run by

Keith M. Vogt, MD, PhD

People needed

10

Starts

2021-07-15

Expected to finish

2022-11-07

Last updated by the study team

2024-04-10

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 18 and above.
• Experiencing low back pain for > 1 month and seeking treatment.
• Literate for reading and writing in English, decision competent, willing and able to provide written informed consent, and able to complete the study's schedule of assessments.

You may not qualify if…

• Subjects under 18 years of age.
• History of claustrophobia.
• Having non-MRI safe metallic or foreign objects in their body.
• History of dementia.
• History of sensory or motor deficits that preclude participation in pain fMRI.
• History of clinically unstable systemic illness that is judged to interfere with the study.
• Pregnancy or the intent to become pregnant during the study.

Where it is running

• UPMC Montefiore — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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