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Dental AnxietyPhase 2/3NCT02268357

The Effects of Propranolol on Fear of Tooth or Molar Extraction

A Phase 2/3 study testing Propranolol in people with Dental Anxiety, run by Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA) at 1 site in Netherlands.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group clinical trial evaluating the anxiolytic effects of propranolol on fear of wisdom tooth removal. It is hypothesized that, compared to placebo, perioperative oral propranolol reduces dental trait anxiety at 1 month follow-up after wisdom tooth removal. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Dental Anxiety
What is being tested?
Propranolol
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
36 participants
Where
1 siteNetherlands
Study dates
Nov 2014to Dec 2018
Phase
Phase 2/3
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Signed written informed consent
  • ≥ 18 Years of age on entry to the study
  • Self-reported high to extreme fear of tooth or molar removal
  • Dutch or English-speaking

Who cannot join

  • Asthma or other obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Cardiac failure
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Renal failure
  • Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
  • Pregnant or breast-feeding
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Current use of another ß-adrenoreceptor antagonist
  • Current use of anxiolytic or antidepressant medication
  • Currently in psychotherapy for dental anxiety
  • Systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Netherlands1 site
  • Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam

    Amsterdam, 1105 AZ

Other trials in Netherlands

About this study

Official title: Effects of Propranolol on Fear of Dental Extraction: Study Protocol for a Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial.

Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group clinical trial evaluating the anxiolytic effects of propranolol on fear of wisdom tooth removal. It is hypothesized that, compared to placebo, perioperative oral propranolol reduces dental trait anxiety at 1 month follow-up after wisdom tooth removal.

Read the detailed description

RATIONALE Tooth and molar removals are among the most feared interventions in dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). Anxiety for these procedures not only produces discomfort to the patient, but may also induce patient behavior that impedes surgery, thereby increasing operative time and complicating postoperative recovery. In addition, it has been found that having undergone an extraction poses a significantly increased risk for developing chronic apprehension for dental surgical procedures, disproportionate forms of dental anxiety (i.e., dental phobia), and symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Addressing these problems effectively requires an intervention that reduces both state anxiety during surgery and dental trait anxiety in the long term.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this trial is to determine the anxiolytic effects of the ß-adrenoreceptor antagonist propranolol on patients with high levels of fear in anticipation of dental extraction.

METHODS Trial design: Randomized, placebo-controlled, two-group, parallel, double-blind, single center trial of 34 participants. Population and recruitment: Consecutive patients, referred by their dentist to the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Academic Medical Center of the University Amsterdam, for at least two tooth and/or molar removals, with self-reported high to extreme fear in anticipation of dental extraction. Intervention: Two 40 mg propranolol capsules one hour prior to dental extraction, followed by one 40 mg capsule directly postoperatively. Comparator: Placebo capsules. Primary outcome: Dental trait anxiety score reduction from baseline to 4-weeks follow-up. Secondary outcomes: Self-reported anxiety during surgery; physiological parameters (heart rate and blood pressure) during recall of the crucial fear-related memory; self-reported vividness and emotional charge of the crucial fear-related memory.

RISKS AND BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH PARTICIPATION Participants of the trial will undergo regular dental extraction procedures (treatment as usual), with an additional potentially anxiolytic pharmacological intervention (propranolol) or placebo. The most important known side-effects of propranolol are mild and self-limiting.

Conditions
Dental Anxiety
Being tested
Propranolol
Keywords
Dental Anxiety, Tooth Extraction, Propranolol

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • PropranololDrug

    Also called propranolol hydrochloride, propranolol HCl

    Oral propranolol capsules

Study groups in NCT02268357
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PropranololExperimentalcapsules PROPRANOLOL (study medication); 80 mg 1 hour preoperative; 40 mg directly postoperative
Receives: Drug: Propranolol
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorcapsules MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE (study medication); 80 mg 1 hour preoperative; 40 mg directly postoperative
Receives: Drug: Propranolol

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change from baseline at 1 month follow-up in Short version of the Dental Anxiety Inventory (S-DAI)

    dental trait anxiety

    Measured: Change from baseline at 1 month follow-up

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Change from baseline at 1 month follow-up in Self-reported vividness and emotional charge of the crucial fear-related memory

    Visual analogue scale

    Measured: Change from Baseline at 1 month follow-up

  2. Change from baseline at 1 month follow-up in State anxiety during treatment

    Visual analogue scale

    Measured: Change from Baseline at 1 month follow-up

  3. Change from baseline at 1 month follow-up in Physiological parameters (heart rate and blood pressure) during recall of the crucial fear-related memory

    Measured: Change from Baseline at 1 month follow-up

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted20 Oct 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startNov 2014
  3. Primary completionDec 2018
  4. Study completionDec 2018

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2/3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
36 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02268357
Sponsor's protocol ID
NL42210.018.13
Status last verified
Apr 2020
First submitted
7 Oct 2014
Last updated
17 Apr 2020
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Liu HH, Milgrom P, Fiset L. Effect of a beta-adrenergic blocking agent on dental anxiety. J Dent Res. 1991 Sep;70(9):1306-8. doi: 10.1177/00220345910700091401.

    PubMed 1918581
  • Brunet A, Orr SP, Tremblay J, Robertson K, Nader K, Pitman RK. Effect of post-retrieval propranolol on psychophysiologic responding during subsequent script-driven traumatic imagery in post-traumatic stress disorder. J Psychiatr Res. 2008 May;42(6):503-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2007.05.006. Epub 2007 Jun 22.

    PubMed 17588604
  • Lonergan MH, Olivera-Figueroa LA, Pitman RK, Brunet A. Propranolol's effects on the consolidation and reconsolidation of long-term emotional memory in healthy participants: a meta-analysis. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2013 Jul;38(4):222-31. doi: 10.1503/jpn.120111.

    PubMed 23182304
  • Steenen SA, van Wijk AJ, van Westrhenen R, de Lange J, de Jongh A. Effects of propranolol on fear of dental extraction: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2015 Nov 25;16:536. doi: 10.1186/s13063-015-1065-7.

    PubMed 26607848

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2/3 study testing Propranolol in people with Dental Anxiety, run by Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA) at 1 site in Netherlands.

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 4 inclusion and 10 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Apr 2020. 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 Netherlands. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this combined phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Change from baseline at 1 month follow-up in Short version of the Dental Anxiety Inventory (S-DAI) (time frame: Change from baseline at 1 month follow-up). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02268357, which also lists 4 linked publications.

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 17 Apr 2020.

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