Premenstrual SyndromePhase 2NCT02481973
The Effect of Individualised Homoeopathic Treatment Using the Grant Bentley Method in Premenstrual Syndrome
A Phase 2 study testing Individualised Homoeopathic Remedy in people with Premenstrual Syndrome, run by University of Johannesburg at 1 site in South Africa.
Trial summary
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is related to the changes in the levels of hormones predominately progesterone, oestrogen and prolactin, during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Both physical and psychological symptoms may occur from at least day 14 of the menstruation cycle and cease by day 4 of menstruation. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 40 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- What is being tested?
- Individualised Homoeopathic Remedy
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 10 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSouth Africa
- Study dates
- Sep 2014to Oct 2015
- Phase
- Phase 2
- 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 to 40 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Females (aged 18-40) suffering from at least one PMS symptom from both of the following physical and psychological symptoms, for at least 3 consecutive menstrual cycles:
- Physical symptoms: headache, breast tenderness, abdominal bloating, food cravings and swelling of extremities
- Psychological symptoms: depression, anxiety, irritability, social withdrawal and memory changes;
- symptoms that are present from at least day 14 (2 weeks before menstruation) of the menstrual cycle, are relieved by day 4 of menstruation, and do not reoccur until after day 13 of the menstrual cycle; and
- if currently on the OCP, they must be using the same brand of medication for 3 consecutive months.
Who cannot join
- Females on any kind of chronic medication that may interfere with PMS symptoms such as medication for hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus and psychiatric disorders;
- are suffering from dysphoric disorder (a severe form of premenstrual syndrome);
- are on hormonal treatment (except OCP);
- have been pre-diagnosed with any anxiety or depression disorders; and/or
- have irregular menses.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
South Africa1 site
University of Johannesburg
Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2028
About this study
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is related to the changes in the levels of hormones predominately progesterone, oestrogen and prolactin, during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Both physical and psychological symptoms may occur from at least day 14 of the menstruation cycle and cease by day 4 of menstruation. The symptoms may interfere with a female's daily activities and have a negative impact well-being. There are a number of conventional pharmacological drugs which are used in the treatment or alleviation of the symptoms of PMS, however the drugs may have side effects and may negatively interact with other medications. Research has shown that homoeopathy is beneficial in relieving or decreasing the severity of PMS, however finding the individualised homoeopathic remedy can be difficult. Grant Bentley developed a system that helps find the most suitable remedy for each individual case. The Grant Bentley Method (GBM) uses homoeopathic case taking, photographs of the facial features and repertorisation to determine the dominant miasmatic group of the patient. This aids in the selection of specific homoeopathic remedy. There has been no research to show the effect of the GBM on PMS.
This study aims to determine the effect of individualised homoeopathic treatment using the GBM, on females with PMS by using case studies and a daily self-grading PMS chart.
Read the detailed description
The study is of an embedded mixed method design using the PMS chart and case studies and will take place over 12 weeks at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Health Centre. Using purposive sampling, 10 female participants between the ages of 18 to 40 years will be recruited by means of advertisements at the Homoeopathic Health Centre, campus gym and female residences on the Doornfontein campus of the University of Johannesburg, as well as various health shops, practices and gyms in the Auckland Park and Killarney areas, with the relevant permission granted.
Each potential participant will be required to complete a screening questionnaire in order to establish whether they are an appropriate candidate for this study. Once this is confirmed, the researcher will explain the study to each participant. The participants will be required to read the participant information form and sign the consent and medical photograph consent forms. Participants will be informed that their photographs will be used for facial analysis to assist in finding the most accurate remedy and will not be published. Each participant's facial features will be hand-drawn by the researcher in order to aid participant confidentiality.
Each participant will undergo a full homoeopathic consultation which will focus on her PMS symptoms. In addition, 9 photos of their facial features will be taken with a digital camera (Panasonic DMC-FZ5) for classification of their dominant miasmatic group. Thereafter, a physical examination including vital signs and an abdominal and/or breast examination (if indicated) will be conducted.
After the consultation, the participant will be asked to record their daily PMS symptoms, for a period of 1 month, on the PMS chart (provided to them by the researcher) at home. The first month will act as a baseline measurement as no treatment will be prescribed. Additionally, the researcher will analyse and repertorise the participant's case in this period. The participant will be grouped into their dominant miasmatic group and the corresponding remedy will be selected, according to the principles of homoeopathy and GBM of prescribing, for use in the following consultation. Remedy selections will be supervised by a registered homoeopath.
The follow-up consultations will be conducted at weeks 4, 8 and 12, wherein participants will hand in their completed PMS charts and undergo any relevant physical examinations. The participant will then receive their individualised remedy, as determined by the researcher, along with an explanation as to how to store and take the remedy. They will additionally receive another PMS chart to complete over the following 4 weeks. Photographs may be retaken to re-analysed the case if necessary as to ensure the correct selection of the remedy using the GBM during the study.
Should the participant want further treatment at the completion of the study, they will be appropriately referred to a registered homoeopath or to the UJ Homoeopathic Health Centre.
A positive result of this research would indicate the viability of the GBM as a useful tool to aid in the individualised homoeopathic treatment and therefore aid in successful prescribing in the treatment of PMS. Additionally, a positive result would indicate homoeopathy as a potential treatment for PMS.
- Conditions
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Being tested
- Individualised Homoeopathic Remedy
- Keywords
- PMS, Homoeopathy, Grant Bentley Method
- Medical subject headings
- Premenstrual Syndrome
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Individualised Homoeopathic RemedyOther
Each participant is to receive an individualised homoeopathic remedy prescribed according to their characteristic symptoms.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Individualised Homoeopathic Remedy | Experimental | Each participant is to receive an individualised homoeopathic remedy, prescribed according to their characteristic symptoms and confirmed my their miasmatic facial features. Although different individualised remedies may be dispensed, each remedy will be homoeopathic and prepared in accordance with the German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia. Each prescription will be in a potency of 30CH which will be taken once daily, according to the GBM. Sucrose pillules will used as the vehicle for each remedy. Receives: Other: Individualised Homoeopathic Remedy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
PMS symptom severity as measured by the PMS chart
The PMS chart will be conducted daily by each participant for 12 weeks.
Measured: 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
Changes in symptom severity as evaluated by researcher case notes
Case notes will be taken every 4 weeks in each consultation and will be used to collect qualitative data.
Measured: Every 4 weeks for 12 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Jun 2015 (estimated)
- Study startSep 2014
- Primary completionOct 2015
- Study completionOct 2015
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Premenstrual SyndromeStudies 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 10 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Johannesburg
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dr J. Pellow, University of Johannesburg
- Investigators
- Reshma Patel, M.TechHom, Study director, University of Johannesburg
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02481973
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MoniqueChavannes200570791
- Status last verified
- May 2016
- First submitted
- 4 Jun 2015
- Last updated
- 19 May 2016
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 May 2016. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Individualised Homoeopathic Treatment Using the Grant Bentley Method in Premenstrual Syndrome
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02481973
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MoniqueChavannes200570791
- Conditions
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Keywords
- PMS, Homoeopathy, Grant Bentley Method
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 10 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of JohannesburgUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Sep 2014
- Primary completion
- Oct 2015 (actual)
- Study completion
- Oct 2015 (actual)
- First posted
- 25 Jun 2015 (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.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is related to the changes in the levels of hormones predominately progesterone, oestrogen and prolactin, during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Both physical and psychological symptoms may occur from at least day 14 of the menstruation cycle and cease by day 4 of menstruation. The symptoms may interfere with a female's daily activities and have a negative impact well-being. There are a number of conventional pharmacological drugs which are used in the treatment or alleviation of the symptoms of PMS, however the drugs may have side effects and may negatively interact with other medications. Research has shown that homoeopathy is beneficial in relieving or decreasing the severity of PMS, however finding the individualised homoeopathic remedy can be difficult. Grant Bentley developed a system that helps find the most suitable remedy for each individual case. The Grant Bentley Method (GBM) uses homoeopathic case taking, photographs of the facial features and repertorisation to determine the dominant miasmatic group of the patient. This aids in the selection of specific homoeopathic remedy. There has been no research to show the effect of the GBM on PMS.
This study aims to determine the effect of individualised homoeopathic treatment using the GBM, on females with PMS by using case studies and a daily self-grading PMS chart.
Detailed description
The study is of an embedded mixed method design using the PMS chart and case studies and will take place over 12 weeks at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Health Centre. Using purposive sampling, 10 female participants between the ages of 18 to 40 years will be recruited by means of advertisements at the Homoeopathic Health Centre, campus gym and female residences on the Doornfontein campus of the University of Johannesburg, as well as various health shops, practices and gyms in the Auckland Park and Killarney areas, with the relevant permission granted.
Each potential participant will be required to complete a screening questionnaire in order to establish whether they are an appropriate candidate for this study. Once this is confirmed, the researcher will explain the study to each participant. The participants will be required to read the participant information form and sign the consent and medical photograph consent forms. Participants will be informed that their photographs will be used for facial analysis to assist in finding the most accurate remedy and will not be published. Each participant's facial features will be hand-drawn by the researcher in order to aid participant confidentiality.
Each participant will undergo a full homoeopathic consultation which will focus on her PMS symptoms. In addition, 9 photos of their facial features will be taken with a digital camera (Panasonic DMC-FZ5) for classification of their dominant miasmatic group. Thereafter, a physical examination including vital signs and an abdominal and/or breast examination (if indicated) will be conducted.
After the consultation, the participant will be asked to record their daily PMS symptoms, for a period of 1 month, on the PMS chart (provided to them by the researcher) at home. The first month will act as a baseline measurement as no treatment will be prescribed. Additionally, the researcher will analyse and repertorise the participant's case in this period. The participant will be grouped into their dominant miasmatic group and the corresponding remedy will be selected, according to the principles of homoeopathy and GBM of prescribing, for use in the following consultation. Remedy selections will be supervised by a registered homoeopath.
The follow-up consultations will be conducted at weeks 4, 8 and 12, wherein participants will hand in their completed PMS charts and undergo any relevant physical examinations. The participant will then receive their individualised remedy, as determined by the researcher, along with an explanation as to how to store and take the remedy. They will additionally receive another PMS chart to complete over the following 4 weeks. Photographs may be retaken to re-analysed the case if necessary as to ensure the correct selection of the remedy using the GBM during the study.
Should the participant want further treatment at the completion of the study, they will be appropriately referred to a registered homoeopath or to the UJ Homoeopathic Health Centre.
A positive result of this research would indicate the viability of the GBM as a useful tool to aid in the individualised homoeopathic treatment and therefore aid in successful prescribing in the treatment of PMS. Additionally, a positive result would indicate homoeopathy as a potential treatment for PMS.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Individualised Homoeopathic Remedy | Experimental | Other: Individualised Homoeopathic RemedyEach participant is to receive an individualised homoeopathic remedy, prescribed according to their characteristic symptoms and confirmed my their miasmatic facial features. Although different individualised remedies may be dispensed, each remedy will be homoeopathic and prepared in accordance with the German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia. Each prescription will be in a potency of 30CH which will be taken once daily, according to the GBM. Sucrose pillules will used as the vehicle for each remedy. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 40 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Females (aged 18-40) suffering from at least one PMS symptom from both of the following physical and psychological symptoms, for at least 3 consecutive menstrual cycles:
- symptoms that are present from at least day 14 (2 weeks before menstruation) of the menstrual cycle, are relieved by day 4 of menstruation, and do not reoccur until after day 13 of the menstrual cycle; and
- if currently on the OCP, they must be using the same brand of medication for 3 consecutive months.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Females on any kind of chronic medication that may interfere with PMS symptoms such as medication for hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus and psychiatric disorders;
- are suffering from dysphoric disorder (a severe form of premenstrual syndrome);
- are on hormonal treatment (except OCP);
- have been pre-diagnosed with any anxiety or depression disorders; and/or
- have irregular menses.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Individualised Homoeopathic RemedyEach participant is to receive an individualised homoeopathic remedy prescribed according to their characteristic symptoms. | Other | Individualised Homoeopathic Remedy |
Primary outcome
PMS symptom severity as measured by the PMS chart
Time frame: 12 weeks
The PMS chart will be conducted daily by each participant for 12 weeks.
1 secondary outcome
Changes in symptom severity as evaluated by researcher case notes
Time frame: Every 4 weeks for 12 weeks
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 May 2016.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
Reshma Patel, M.TechHom study director
University of Johannesburg
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing Individualised Homoeopathic Remedy in people with Premenstrual Syndrome, run by University of Johannesburg at 1 site in South Africa.
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 5 inclusion and 5 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 19 May 2016. 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 South Africa. 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.
What does this 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.
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?
PMS symptom severity as measured by the PMS chart (time frame: 12 weeks). 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 19 May 2016.