AzTrials
AzTrials

Small Fiber NeuropathyNCT02985710

Assessment of Small Fiber Neuropathy in Rare Diseases Using Sudoscan

A study testing Sudoscan, Skin biopsy and QSART in people with Small Fiber Neuropathy and Fabry Disease, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.

Completed

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

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Sudoscan™ (Impeto Medical, Paris France) uses electrochemical skin conductance as a novel noninvasive method to detect sudomotor dysfunction. Several small studies have recently shown that Sudoscan use in the assessment of small fiber polyneuropathy (in diabetes mellitus) can be performed non-invasively, quickly and… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 8 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Sudoscan, Skin biopsy and QSART
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
102 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Aug 2016to Aug 2020
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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 8 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Males and females with confirmed disease: Fabry (by GLA enzymes and/or DNA testing) naïve and on ERT, Mitochondrial diseases (electron transport chain and/or DNA testing) or connective tissue diseases (clinical criteria and/or DNA testing when available)
  • Consenting adults (18 years and older) who agrees and consents to skin biopsy and QSART procedure

Who cannot join

  • Subjects with cognitive, psychiatric, or other problems that preclude informed consent.
  • Patients with history of glucose intolerance or diabetes.
  • Patient on chemotherapy
  • People with any open or bleeding wounds at any sensor plate contact surface location
  • People with any type of implantable device
  • People with missing hand(s) and/or leg(s)
Show all 13Show fewer
  • Pregnant women or women who are uncertain about a possible pregnancy
  • Patients sensitive to chemicals used to induce sweating
  • Patients with heat intolerance
  • Patients with bleeding disorders
  • Patients on current anticoagulant therapy
  • Patients with keloids on the intended biopsy site
  • People with hypersensitivity to local amide-type anesthetics

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Massachusetts General Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02114

Other trials in United States

About this study

Sudoscan™ (Impeto Medical, Paris France) uses electrochemical skin conductance as a novel noninvasive method to detect sudomotor dysfunction. Several small studies have recently shown that Sudoscan use in the assessment of small fiber polyneuropathy (in diabetes mellitus) can be performed non-invasively, quickly and effectively. The investigators aim to study the use of Sudoscan in rare disease condition associated with small fiber polyneuropathy.

Read the detailed description

Small fiber polyneuropathy (SFPN) is diagnosed through a combination of symptoms, signs and confirmatory diagnostic testing. Nerve conduction studies are not sensitive enough in most of the cases leaving the ankle skin biopsy with measurement of intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) as the main diagnostic tool. Despite its utility and reproducibility, skin biopsy is invasive, expensive and requires a central laboratory for processing and interpretation. Quantitative sudomotor axon reflex testing (QSART) is also routinely used for evaluation of small fiber neuropathy as sudomotor axons can also be involved. This test however remains technically challenging and requires testing conditions in specialized labs that are not always suitable for all patients' population. By comparing findings on skin biopsy and/or QSRT, accepted gold standard for diagnosing SFPN, the investigators seek to find faster, less-invasive ways to diagnose and monitor small-fiber polyneuropathy in rare diseases using Sudoscan measurement.

Being tested
Sudoscan, Skin biopsy, QSART
Medical subject headings
Small Fiber Neuropathy, Fabry Disease, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Mitochondrial Diseases

What participants receive

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

  • SudoscanDevice

    The Sudoscan is a non invasive procedure and similar to standing on a scale to be weighed. Sudoscan measurements are made in compliance with the manufacturer's recommended procedures. The measurement is rapid and non-invasive, and requires no advance preparation.

  • Skin biopsyProcedure or surgery

    For subjects that give additional consent, skin biopsy will be done in standard fashion under sterile conditions. Assessment of nerve fiber density typically involves a 3-mm punch biopsy of skin from the leg (10 cm above the external malleolus).

  • QSARTProcedure or surgery

    Also called Quantitative Sudomotor Autonomic Reflex Testing

    QSRT (quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test) testing involves having a technician wipe the subject's arms and leg with alcohol, then tissue to wipe it dry. Electrodes filled with acetylcholine are put on three areas of the leg and one on the wrist, stimulators are turned on and sweat responses are measured.

Study groups in NCT02985710
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Sudoscan onlyOtherPatients in this arm will only undergoing testing with Sudoscan.
Receives: Device: Sudoscan
Sudoscan PlusOtherPatients in this arm will get Sudoscan testing as well as a skin biopsy and QSART testing.
Receives: Device: Sudoscan; Procedure: Skin biopsy; Procedure: QSART

What is being measured

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

  1. Number of Patients With Abnormal Electrochemical Skin Conductance in the Different Study Groups Who Have Clinical Symptoms Consistent With Small Fiber Polyneuropathy.

    The internal software of the Sudoscan will allow analysis of skin conductance in all patients and quantification into normal or abnormal. Correlation of an abnormal conductance measurement with clinical symptoms and signs of small fiber neuropathy will be evaluated for accuracy of Sudoscan measurements

    Measured: 12 months

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Number of Patients in Whom a Specific Skin Conductance (ESC) Signature Pattern Was Detected in the Hands and/or Feet on Sudoscan Measurements.

    Distribution of the electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) in both hands and feet was reviewed as an indirect measure of the subject's capacity to sweat. Normative scales of adult sweat function are preloaded in the device and compared to actual measurements to determine if a subject's sweat response is reduced, which is associated with neuropathy. A positive outcome is the identification of a lower ESC in either hands or feet that distinguishes Fabry disease from other disorders and would be a reflection of the presence of SFPN.

    Measured: 48 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted7 Dec 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study startAug 2016
  3. Primary completion22 Dec 2019
  4. Study completionAug 2020

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 N/A
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
102 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02985710
Sponsor's protocol ID
2015P000205
Status last verified
Sep 2021
First submitted
12 Sep 2016
Last updated
7 Oct 2021
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
No: Scientific publication at the end of the study

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Sudoscan, Skin biopsy and QSART in people with Small Fiber Neuropathy and Fabry Disease, run by Massachusetts General Hospital 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 2 inclusion and 13 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 7 Oct 2021. 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?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 7 Oct 2021). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

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?

Number of Patients With Abnormal Electrochemical Skin Conductance in the Different Study Groups Who Have Clinical Symptoms Consistent With Small Fiber Polyneuropathy. (time frame: 12 months). 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 7 Oct 2021.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in