High-functioning AutismNCT03413241
Pain in Autism Spectrum Disorder
An observational study of High-functioning Autism, run by Rambam Health Care Campus at 1 site in Israel.
Trial summary
The proposed project will be first performed on individuals with HF-ASD with their expected heterogeneity and healthy control (HC) subjects in order to explore the pain processing and modulation mechanisms underlying the pain sensitivity profile of adults with HF-ASD. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 45 years
- Conditions the study is for
- High-functioning Autism
- How many people
- 183 participants
- Where
- 1 siteIsrael
- Study dates
- 6 May 2018to 17 Feb 2022
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 45 years
- All sexes
- Adult
Study population: 80 adults (18-45 years) diagnosed with HF-ASD, and up to 92 healthy subjects, controlled for age, sex and IQ,
Who may be able to join
- Proficiency in using the Hebrew language;
- Verbal performance and full scale estimate of 80 and above on the WASI
- No use of pain medication for the past 24 hours.
- Inclusion criteria for the ASD group: A diagnosis of HF-ASD based on the ADOS-2
Who cannot join
- 1) Diagnosis of chronic pain.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Israel1 site
The lab of clinical neurophysiology, the faculty of medicine, Technion and Rambam Medical Center
Haifa
About this study
Official title: Pain in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Psychophysical and Neurophysiological Exploration of Pain Sensitivity and Its Relation to Clinical Characteristics
The proposed project will be first performed on individuals with HF-ASD with their expected heterogeneity and healthy control (HC) subjects in order to explore the pain processing and modulation mechanisms underlying the pain sensitivity profile of adults with HF-ASD. Secondly, we will focus on individuals with ASD and HC, without ASR (ASD-nonASR, HC-nonASR) and with SHR (ASD-SHR, HC-SHR). This 2X2 factorial design will enable us to determine whether the feature of SHR in individuals with HF-ASD contributes to pain sensitivity. This research project will comprise of two sessions. Session I will include the following tests ADOS-2 for ASD diagnosing (only for individuals with ASD), intelligence quotation testing (IQ Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence® - Second Edition (WASI®-II)107, serving for inclusion criteria. Session II will include familiarization with the researchers and lab, thermal detection threshold testing for small fiber abnormality identification since detection thresholds in some reports found to be abnormal pain threshold testing, and completion of questionnaires (see section 3.6 for details), psychophysical testing and EEG recordings in the following order: i) rEEG recordings; ii) psychophysical pain assessments; simultaneously with iii) neurophysiological pain assessments with pain EPs recorded. Our research protocol will be approved by the Helsinki Committee of the Rambam Health Care Center and The Chaim Sheba Medical Center.
Read the detailed description
A dysregulation of the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neural activity (i.e. an E/I imbalance) underlies ASD pathology. Neural hyper-responsiveness and impaired top-down modulation represent the E/I imbalance, underpinning the ASD clinical characteristics. One of the most frequent ASD characteristics is atypical sensory responsiveness, including exaggerated behavioral responses to sensory stimuli (i.e. sensory hyper-responsiveness). In healthy subjects, sensory hyper-responsiveness was found to be associated with pain hyper-sensitivity.This study project aims to study whether : (1) the individuals with ASD exhibit pain hyper-sensitivity, namely a pro-nociceptive profile, supported by the E/I imbalance. (2) the pain sensitivity will be positively associated with ASD clinical characteristics, and (3) sensory hyper-responsiveness will be found to be a contributing factor to pain hyper-sensitivity in ASD individuals.
We will perform a multi-method, comprehensive psychophysical and neurophysiological evaluation of pain sensitivity along with self-reports of clinical characteristics, daily function, and quality of life. The participants will be high functioning ASD (HF-ASD) individuals (IQ >80). Pain processing by means of pain hyperalgesia and pain inhibition capability, along with EEG activity at rest and in response to noxious stimuli (pain-evoked potentials), will be compared between ASD subjects and healthy controls. The best pain-related psychophysical and/or neurophysiological measures differentiating between groups will be tested for correlations with the ASD clinical characteristics. In order to test the contributing role of sensory hyper-responsiveness to pain sensitivity in ASD, the aforementioned psychophysical and neurophysiological evaluation will be performed in 4 homogenous groups: ASD with and without sensory hyper-responsiveness, and controls with and without sensory hyper-responsiveness.
- Conditions
- High-functioning Autism
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder
- Medical subject headings
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pain processing and modulation mechanisms underlying the pain sensitivity profile of adults with HF-ASD
To explore the pain processing and modulation mechanisms underlying the pain sensitivity profile of adults with HF-ASD
Measured: 4 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Jan 2018
- Study start6 May 2018
- Primary completion17 Feb 2022
- Study completion17 Feb 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for High-functioning AutismStudies 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
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 183 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Rambam Health Care Campus
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03413241
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ASD 0496-17-RMB
- Status last verified
- Apr 2024
- First submitted
- 21 Jan 2018
- Last updated
- 12 Apr 2024
- Results posted
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 12 Apr 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Pain in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Psychophysical and Neurophysiological Exploration of Pain Sensitivity and Its Relation to Clinical Characteristics
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03413241
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ASD 0496-17-RMB
- Conditions
- High-functioning Autism
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 183 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Rambam Health Care CampusUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 6 May 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 17 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 17 Feb 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 Jan 2018 (actual)
- 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.
The proposed project will be first performed on individuals with HF-ASD with their expected heterogeneity and healthy control (HC) subjects in order to explore the pain processing and modulation mechanisms underlying the pain sensitivity profile of adults with HF-ASD. Secondly, we will focus on individuals with ASD and HC, without ASR (ASD-nonASR, HC-nonASR) and with SHR (ASD-SHR, HC-SHR). This 2X2 factorial design will enable us to determine whether the feature of SHR in individuals with HF-ASD contributes to pain sensitivity. This research project will comprise of two sessions. Session I will include the following tests ADOS-2 for ASD diagnosing (only for individuals with ASD), intelligence quotation testing (IQ Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence® - Second Edition (WASI®-II)107, serving for inclusion criteria. Session II will include familiarization with the researchers and lab, thermal detection threshold testing for small fiber abnormality identification since detection thresholds in some reports found to be abnormal pain threshold testing, and completion of questionnaires (see section 3.6 for details), psychophysical testing and EEG recordings in the following order: i) rEEG recordings; ii) psychophysical pain assessments; simultaneously with iii) neurophysiological pain assessments with pain EPs recorded. Our research protocol will be approved by the Helsinki Committee of the Rambam Health Care Center and The Chaim Sheba Medical Center.
Detailed description
A dysregulation of the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neural activity (i.e. an E/I imbalance) underlies ASD pathology. Neural hyper-responsiveness and impaired top-down modulation represent the E/I imbalance, underpinning the ASD clinical characteristics. One of the most frequent ASD characteristics is atypical sensory responsiveness, including exaggerated behavioral responses to sensory stimuli (i.e. sensory hyper-responsiveness). In healthy subjects, sensory hyper-responsiveness was found to be associated with pain hyper-sensitivity.This study project aims to study whether : (1) the individuals with ASD exhibit pain hyper-sensitivity, namely a pro-nociceptive profile, supported by the E/I imbalance. (2) the pain sensitivity will be positively associated with ASD clinical characteristics, and (3) sensory hyper-responsiveness will be found to be a contributing factor to pain hyper-sensitivity in ASD individuals.
We will perform a multi-method, comprehensive psychophysical and neurophysiological evaluation of pain sensitivity along with self-reports of clinical characteristics, daily function, and quality of life. The participants will be high functioning ASD (HF-ASD) individuals (IQ >80). Pain processing by means of pain hyperalgesia and pain inhibition capability, along with EEG activity at rest and in response to noxious stimuli (pain-evoked potentials), will be compared between ASD subjects and healthy controls. The best pain-related psychophysical and/or neurophysiological measures differentiating between groups will be tested for correlations with the ASD clinical characteristics. In order to test the contributing role of sensory hyper-responsiveness to pain sensitivity in ASD, the aforementioned psychophysical and neurophysiological evaluation will be performed in 4 homogenous groups: ASD with and without sensory hyper-responsiveness, and controls with and without sensory hyper-responsiveness.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 45 years
- Sex
- All
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- 80 adults (18-45 years) diagnosed with HF-ASD, and up to 92 healthy subjects, controlled for age, sex and IQ,
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Proficiency in using the Hebrew language;
- Verbal performance and full scale estimate of 80 and above on the WASI
- No use of pain medication for the past 24 hours.
- Inclusion criteria for the ASD group: A diagnosis of HF-ASD based on the ADOS-2
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- 1) Diagnosis of chronic pain.
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
Pain processing and modulation mechanisms underlying the pain sensitivity profile of adults with HF-ASD
Time frame: 4 years
To explore the pain processing and modulation mechanisms underlying the pain sensitivity profile of adults with HF-ASD
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 12 Apr 2024.
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
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 High-functioning Autism, run by Rambam Health Care Campus at 1 site in Israel.
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 1 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 12 Apr 2024. 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 Israel. 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?
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?
Pain processing and modulation mechanisms underlying the pain sensitivity profile of adults with HF-ASD (time frame: 4 years). 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 12 Apr 2024.