Chronic PainOpDriveNCT00659035
Use of Driving Tests to Evaluate Patient Performance on Oral Opioids
An observational study of Chronic Pain, run by Asokumar Buvanendran at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Many patients seen at Pain Centers are advised not to drive if they are on long-term opioid medications. Although such advice is routinely given considering patients' safety, unnecessary restrictions to driving can cause inconvenience to the patients and delay their treatment. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 80 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Chronic Pain
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- How many people
- 450 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Apr 2008to Dec 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 80 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Pain Clinic population
Who may be able to join
- Driving license
Who cannot join
- Any other drug or condition that would impair driving ability
- History of seizures
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois, 60612
About this study
Many patients seen at Pain Centers are advised not to drive if they are on long-term opioid medications. Although such advice is routinely given considering patients' safety, unnecessary restrictions to driving can cause inconvenience to the patients and delay their treatment. Such restrictions also pose social and legal questions to patients and physicians.
The investigators would like to test such patients' ability to drive under oral opioids using a driving simulator at the Pain Center. This simulator is like a video game with computer and a steering wheel to simulate real life driving. The driving simulator provides measure on several outcome measures, such as attention, reaction time, etc. allowing us to specifically address question pertaining to any cognitive or behavioral differences.
Read the detailed description
Many patients seen at Pain Centers are advised not to drive if they are on long-term opioid medications. Although such advice is routinely given considering patients' safety, unnecessary restrictions to driving can cause inconvenience to the patients and delay their treatment. Such restrictions also pose social and legal questions to patients and physicians.
The investigators would like to test such patients' ability to drive under oral opioids using a driving simulator at the Pain Centre. This simulator is like a video game with computer and a steering wheel to simulate real life driving. The driving simulator provides measure on several outcome measures, such as attention, reaction time, etc. allowing us to specifically address question pertaining to any cognitive or behavioral differences.
A pilot phase, for feasibility, included 80 subjects. This phase will include a comparison with a random selection of 450 patients receiving one of the following 5 treatments:
Group 1 (IT): Subjects receiving 1-10 mg/day of morphine or its equivalent doses of opioid medications through intrathecal route. Intrathecal medications are administered through a catheter in spinal cord
Group 2 (Oral): Subjects receiving oral opioids (morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone), but not also receiving anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK
Group 3 (Oral + Anticonvulsant): Subjects receiving oral opioids (morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone) and anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), but not also receiving muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK
Group 4 (Control -Pain) Subject not receiving opioid medications, anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK.
Group 5 (Control -No Pain) Age-matched volunteers (NO PAIN) not receiving opioid medications, anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK.
First group has 50 patients and the rest will have 100 patients each.
- Conditions
- Chronic Pain
- Keywords
- driving, opioids, impairment, ability, patients, receiving, oral morphine, severe
- Medical subject headings
- Chronic Pain, Lymphoma, Follicular
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| IT | Subjects receiving 1-10 mg/day of morphine or its equivalent doses of opioid medications through intrathecal route. Intrathecal medications are administered through a catheter in spinal cord | |
| Oral | Subjects receiving oral opioids (morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone), but not also receiving anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK | |
| Oral + Anticonvulsant | Subjects receiving oral opioids (morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone) and anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), but not also receiving muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK | |
| Control -Pain | Subject not receiving opioid medications, anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK. | |
| Control -No Pain | Age-matched volunteers (NO PAIN) not receiving opioid medications, anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Weaving, measured as standard deviation of lateral position.
Measured: 1 h
Secondary outcomes (1)
Reaction time
Measured: 1 h
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Apr 2008 (estimated)
- Study startApr 2008
- Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Chronic PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 450 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Asokumar Buvanendran
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Asokumar Buvanendran, Rush University Medical Center
- Investigators
- Asokumar Buvanendran, MD, Principal investigator, Rush University Medical Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00659035
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ABuv111407
- Acronym
- OpDrive
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 30 Jan 2008
- Last updated
- 8 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Use of Driving Tests to Evaluate Patient Performance on Oral Opioids
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00659035
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- OpDrive / ABuv111407
- Conditions
- Chronic Pain
- Keywords
- driving, opioids, impairment, ability, patients, receiving, oral morphine, severe
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 450 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Asokumar BuvanendranUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Apr 2008 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Apr 2008 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Many patients seen at Pain Centers are advised not to drive if they are on long-term opioid medications. Although such advice is routinely given considering patients' safety, unnecessary restrictions to driving can cause inconvenience to the patients and delay their treatment. Such restrictions also pose social and legal questions to patients and physicians.
The investigators would like to test such patients' ability to drive under oral opioids using a driving simulator at the Pain Center. This simulator is like a video game with computer and a steering wheel to simulate real life driving. The driving simulator provides measure on several outcome measures, such as attention, reaction time, etc. allowing us to specifically address question pertaining to any cognitive or behavioral differences.
Detailed description
Many patients seen at Pain Centers are advised not to drive if they are on long-term opioid medications. Although such advice is routinely given considering patients' safety, unnecessary restrictions to driving can cause inconvenience to the patients and delay their treatment. Such restrictions also pose social and legal questions to patients and physicians.
The investigators would like to test such patients' ability to drive under oral opioids using a driving simulator at the Pain Centre. This simulator is like a video game with computer and a steering wheel to simulate real life driving. The driving simulator provides measure on several outcome measures, such as attention, reaction time, etc. allowing us to specifically address question pertaining to any cognitive or behavioral differences.
A pilot phase, for feasibility, included 80 subjects. This phase will include a comparison with a random selection of 450 patients receiving one of the following 5 treatments:
Group 1 (IT): Subjects receiving 1-10 mg/day of morphine or its equivalent doses of opioid medications through intrathecal route. Intrathecal medications are administered through a catheter in spinal cord
Group 2 (Oral): Subjects receiving oral opioids (morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone), but not also receiving anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK
Group 3 (Oral + Anticonvulsant): Subjects receiving oral opioids (morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone) and anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), but not also receiving muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK
Group 4 (Control -Pain) Subject not receiving opioid medications, anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK.
Group 5 (Control -No Pain) Age-matched volunteers (NO PAIN) not receiving opioid medications, anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK.
First group has 50 patients and the rest will have 100 patients each.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 5
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| IT | – | –Subjects receiving 1-10 mg/day of morphine or its equivalent doses of opioid medications through intrathecal route. Intrathecal medications are administered through a catheter in spinal cord |
| Oral | – | –Subjects receiving oral opioids (morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone), but not also receiving anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK |
| Oral + Anticonvulsant | – | –Subjects receiving oral opioids (morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone) and anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), but not also receiving muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK |
| Control -Pain | – | –Subject not receiving opioid medications, anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK. |
| Control -No Pain | – | –Age-matched volunteers (NO PAIN) not receiving opioid medications, anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, topiramate), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or diphenylhydramine for at least a week before testing; low dose antidepressants and/or NSAIDs are OK. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Pain Clinic population
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Driving license
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Any other drug or condition that would impair driving ability
- History of seizures
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Weaving, measured as standard deviation of lateral position.
Time frame: 1 h
1 secondary outcome
Reaction time
Time frame: 1 h
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Jan 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Asokumar Buvanendran, MD principal investigator
Rush University Medical Center
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Chronic Pain, run by Asokumar Buvanendran at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Weaving, measured as standard deviation of lateral position. (time frame: 1 h). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Jan 2026.