

They are conducted only after they have received health authority/ethics committee approval in the country where approval of the therapy is sought. Clinical trials generate data on dosage, safety and efficacy. Such prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants are designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, dietary choices, dietary supplements, and medical devices) and known interventions that warrant further study and comparison.
#PHANTOM PAIN MANAGEMENT CLINICAL TRIALS TRIAL#
A more noteworthy consequence of such an oversight would be having to manage the adverse events that come with the use of TCAs.A clinical trial participant receives an injectionĬlinical trials are experiments or observations done in clinical research. Overlooking the potential for intranasal ketamine to relieve symptoms of phantom pain could significantly impact patients’ ability to fully enjoy their lives. Despite this, the success of Spravato in the MDD market suggests that intranasal, therapeutic administration may be useful for the treatment of other chronic neurological indications such as phantom pain, which can gradually worsen if symptoms are untreated. Ketamine is a classified substance and is not purchasable at pharmacies or health clinics. In addition, ketamine’s addictogenic properties cannot be underestimated. Although ketamine’s analgaesic properties have been well-characterised in scientific literature, one year’s supply of Spravato costs around $35,000 in the US, assuming that patients use the nasal spray twice a week. This is a considerable advantage compared to TCAs that are administered once daily. Spravato has been shown to be potent enough to be administered once or twice weekly. In cases where the phantom pain is persistent and severe, patients may be at risk of TCA overdose, which is a medical emergency for which no specific antidote has been identified. These drugs, however, are known for their potential cardiotoxicity, hepatoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) such as amitriptyline, desipramine and nortriptyline have also been historically indicated for the treatment of phantom pain. It is also possible for people with congenital limb defects or nerve injuries to suffer from phantom pain, which can be managed with antiepileptics such as gabapentin and pregabalin.

Phantom pain can arise immediately after the removal of a body part or develop slowly over time. Surgical procedures to remove body parts can be a necessary part of treating cancer, frostbite or infectious diseases such as necrotising fasciitis and Legionnaires’ disease. Examples of surgeries that can damage nerve cells include mastectomies, enucleations and limb amputations. This form of neuropathic pain often results from the surgical removal of a body part. Phantom pain is a neuropathic disorder that arises when a person experiences a painful sensation from an organ or body part that is no longer or never was physically present.
