Auricular Neurostimulation for Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome

Sponsor
Medical College of Wisconsin (Other)
Overall Status
Completed
CT.gov ID
NCT03434652
Collaborator
(none)
47
1
2
37
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Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

This study evaluates the efficacy of auricular neurostimulation via an non-invasive percutaneous electrical nerve field stimulator in children and adults with cyclic vomiting syndrome.

Condition or Disease Intervention/Treatment Phase
  • Device: Percutaneous neurostimulation
N/A

Detailed Description

Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is an difficult to treat and debilitating functional gastrointestinal disorder. Majority of children and adults with CVS have concurrent severe abdominal pain and migraine-features, rendering them incapacitated during the vomiting cycle.

The vagus nerve carries signals of nausea, vomiting and pain between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract and is part of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system appears to be in imbalance in patients with CVS during a vomiting cycle. By stimulating a branch of the vagus nerve in the outer ear, this study aims to improve symptoms and quality of life in both children and adults with CVS.

Subjects will be randomized to receive active vs sham (non-active) neurostimulation therapy for 5 days at the onset of a CVS cycle. They will then cross over to the other group (active vs sham) at the onset of the next CVS cycle. Subjects in a separate sub-study receive 6 weeks of active neurostimulation therapy (5 days/week). Pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, quality of life, potential side effects and overall symptom improvement will be monitored before and after therapy for the entire study.

Study Design

Study Type:
Interventional
Actual Enrollment :
47 participants
Allocation:
Randomized
Intervention Model:
Crossover Assignment
Intervention Model Description:
Each subject randomized to active vs sham therapy, then cross over to the other during next illness cycleEach subject randomized to active vs sham therapy, then cross over to the other during next illness cycle
Masking:
Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose:
Treatment
Official Title:
Efficacy of Auricular Neurostimulation for Children and Adults With Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome: a Pilot Study
Actual Study Start Date :
Jan 31, 2018
Actual Primary Completion Date :
Mar 3, 2021
Actual Study Completion Date :
Mar 3, 2021

Arms and Interventions

Arm Intervention/Treatment
Active Comparator: Active percutaneous neurostimulation

Subject randomized to 5 days of active vs sham neurostimulation therapy during an illness cycle. With next illness cycle, each subject will cross over to the other one (active vs sham).

Device: Percutaneous neurostimulation
Auricular percutaneous neurostimulation
Other Names:
  • Neuro-Stim System (NSS)-2 BRIDGE
  • Sham Comparator: Sham percutaneous neurostimulation

    Each subject randomized to 5 days of active vs sham neurostimulation therapy during an illness cycle. With next illness cycle, each subject will cross over to the other one (active vs sham).

    Device: Percutaneous neurostimulation
    Auricular percutaneous neurostimulation
    Other Names:
  • Neuro-Stim System (NSS)-2 BRIDGE
  • Outcome Measures

    Primary Outcome Measures

    1. Baxter Retching Faces Scale [From date of baseline assessment (therapy start date) through next 7 days for each cycle of therapy. Also assessed at follow-up visit 3 months after end of therapy and further follow-up visits up to 12 months after end of therapy.]

      Daily nausea severity assessed by pictorial nausea faces scale 0-10 (0=no nausea; 10=worse possible nausea) with higher scores indicating worse outcomes (greater nausea).

    Secondary Outcome Measures

    1. Numeric pain scale [From date of baseline assessment (therapy start date) through next 7 days for each cycle of therapy. Also assessed at follow-up visit 3 months after end of therapy and further follow-up visits up to 12 months after end of therapy.]

      Daily pain severity assessed by numeric pain scale 0-10 (0=no pain; 10=worst possible pain) with higher scores indicating worse outcome (greater pain).

    2. Anxiety [From date of baseline assessment (therapy start date) and day 5 of therapy for each cycle of therapy. Also assessed at follow-up visit 3 months after end of therapy and further follow-up visits up to 12 months after end of therapy.]

      State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children and Adults

    3. Health-Related Quality of Life [From date of baseline assessment (therapy start date) and day 5 of therapy for each cycle of therapy. Also assessed at follow-up visit 3 months after end of therapy and further follow-up visits up to 12 months after end of therapy.]

      Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems

    4. Disability in Children [From date of baseline assessment (therapy start date) and day 5 of therapy for each cycle of therapy. Also assessed at follow-up visit 3 months after end of therapy and further follow-up visits up to 12 months after end of therapy.]

      Functional Disability Inventory

    5. Disability in Adults [From date of baseline assessment (therapy start date) and day 5 of therapy for each cycle of therapy. Also assessed at follow-up visit 3 months after end of therapy and further follow-up visits up to 12 months after end of therapy.]

      Sheehan Disability Scale assessing disability and impairment on a scale 0-10 with higher scores indicating more disability. Three sub scales: 1) school/work, 2) social life and 3) family life are assessed (scale 0-10) with a total score reflecting the sum of the 3 subscales (total score range 0-30 with higher score indicating more disability).

    6. Global symptoms [From date of baseline assessment (therapy start date) and day 5 of therapy for each cycle of therapy. Also assessed at follow-up visit 3 months after end of therapy and further follow-up visits up to 12 months after end of therapy.]

      Global symptom improvement scale

    Eligibility Criteria

    Criteria

    Ages Eligible for Study:
    8 Years to 65 Years
    Sexes Eligible for Study:
    All
    Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
    No
    Inclusion Criteria:
    • Meeting Rome IV Pediatric or Adult criteria for Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS)

    • Concurrent abdominal pain with CVS cycle

    • English-speaking

    • Lack of other explanation for symptoms

    • Either predictable, 'calendar-timed' episodes or prodromal symptoms for 12-24 hours that are predictive of episodes onset

    Exclusion Criteria:
    • Medically complex and/or suffering from medical condition that may explain symptoms

    • Taking a medication that may explain symptoms

    • Significant developmental delays

    • Patients treated with a new drug affecting the central nervous system within one week of enrollment

    • Infection or severe dermatological condition of ear

    • Stable vital signs

    • No currently implanted electrical device

    • For adults (and adolescents as applicable): pregnancy, severe cardiopulmonary disease, concurrent chronic marijuana use (>2 times/month over past 6 months prior to enrollment)

    Contacts and Locations

    Locations

    Site City State Country Postal Code
    1 Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee Wisconsin United States 53226

    Sponsors and Collaborators

    • Medical College of Wisconsin

    Investigators

    • Principal Investigator: Katja Kovacic, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin

    Study Documents (Full-Text)

    None provided.

    More Information

    Publications

    Responsible Party:
    Katja Kovacic, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin
    ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
    NCT03434652
    Other Study ID Numbers:
    • 1102505-4
    First Posted:
    Feb 15, 2018
    Last Update Posted:
    Apr 12, 2022
    Last Verified:
    Apr 1, 2022
    Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
    No
    Plan to Share IPD:
    No
    Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product:
    No
    Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product:
    Yes
    Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.:
    No
    Additional relevant MeSH terms:

    Study Results

    No Results Posted as of Apr 12, 2022