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FibromyalgiaNCT03714425

Efficacy of the Quell Wearable Device for Fibromyalgia

A study testing Quell in people with Fibromyalgia, run by Brigham and Women's 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
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Trial summary

This study is designed for patients with primary fibromyalgia (FM) pain. The overall aim of the study is to determine the effect of the high frequency Quell device to manage FM compared with a low frequency device. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Fibromyalgia
What is being tested?
Quell
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
119 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Feb 2019to 1 Dec 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 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • have chronic pain related to FM for > 3 months' duration
  • average 4 or greater on a pain intensity scale of 0 to 10
  • are able to speak and understand English
  • have a smartphone (Android or iPhone)

Who cannot join

  • diagnosis of cancer or any other malignant disease
  • acute osteomyelitis or acute bone disease
  • present or past DSM-V diagnosis of schizophrenia, delusional disorder, psychotic disorder, or dissociative disorder that would be judged to interfere with study participation
  • pregnancy
  • any clinically unstable systemic illness judged to interfere with treatment
  • a pain condition requiring urgent surgery
  • an active substance use disorder, such as cocaine or IV heroin use (positive on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview; M.I.N.I. v.5.0), that would interfere with study participation
  • have an implanted cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, or other implanted device

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital

    Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, 02467

Other trials in United States

About this study

This study is designed for patients with primary fibromyalgia (FM) pain. The overall aim of the study is to determine the effect of the high frequency Quell device to manage FM compared with a low frequency device. Investigators hypothesize that those assigned to using the high frequency Quell device will report reduced pain compared with those using the low frequency Quell device; with those using the high frequency device also showing more improvement in sleep, mood, and level of activity. Investigators also hypothesize that frequency of using the Quell (increased tolerability and adherence) will be correlated with greater reduction in pain.

Read the detailed description

The Quell is battery powered with rechargeable batteries and is strapped to participant's upper calf with a velcro band. It has been cleared by the FDA for safety. It is designed to improve fibromyalgia by the principles of transcutaneous electrical stimulation of nerves much like a traditional transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) unit. Investigators expect to enroll approximately 130 subjects in this study. Participants will be equally randomized to one of two experimental groups: High Frequency Quell group (N=65) or Low Frequency Quell group (N=65). This study hopes to find out whether low frequency or high frequency stimulation is most useful among persons with fibromyalgia.

Conditions
Fibromyalgia
Being tested
Quell
Medical subject headings
Fibromyalgia

What participants receive

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

  • QuellDevice

    Quell is a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator Device (TENS). The device will use nerve stimulation to treat chronic pain by sending signals to the brain that cause it to release natural opioids.

Study groups in NCT03714425
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
High frequency deviceActive comparatorSubjects will use high frequency Quell devices.
Receives: Device: Quell
Low frequency deviceSham comparatorSubjects will use low frequency Quell devices.
Receives: Device: Quell

What is being measured

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

  1. Patients' Global Impression of Change

    The questionnaire reflects a patient's belief about the efficacy of treatment. The Patients' Global Impression of Change (PGIC) is a 7-point scale (1-7) depicting a patient's rating of overall improvement. Patients rate their change as 1="very much improved," 2="much improved," 3="minimally improved," 4="no change," 5="minimally worse," 6="much worse," or 7="very much worse." Lower values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: 3 months

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. The Brief Pain Inventory

    The Brief Pain Inventory assesses the severity of pain and its impact on functioning. Pain Severity Score is calculated by adding the scores for questions 2, 3, 4 and 5 and then dividing by 4. This gives a severity score out of 10 (0-10), where 0 means no pain and 10 is worst possible pain. Pain Interference Score is calculated by adding the scores for questions 8a, b, c, d, e, f and g and then dividing by 7. This gives an interference score out of 10 (0-10), where 0 means does not interfere and 10 means completely interferes. Lower values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 months

  2. Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire

    The Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) is an assessment and evaluation instrument developed to measure fibromyalgia (FM) patient status, progress and outcomes. The FIQR has 3 domains: function, overall impact and symptoms. FIQR has 21 individual questions and all questions are based on an 11-point numeric rating scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being 'worst'. The summed score for function (range 0 to 90) is divided by 3, the summed score for overall impact (range 0 to 20) is not changed, and the summed score for symptoms (range 0 to 100) is divided by 2. The total FIQR is the sum of the three domain scores. The total score of the FIQR ranges from 0 to 100. Lower values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 months

  3. Pain Catastrophizing Scale

    The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) instructions ask participants to reflect on past painful experiences, and to indicate the degree to which they experienced each of 13 thoughts or feelings when experiencing pain, on 5-point scales with the end points (0) not at all and (4) all the time. The total score is computed by summing responses to all 13 items (scale 0-4). PCS total scores range from 0 - 52. The higher the score, the more catastrophizing thoughts are present. Lower values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 months

  4. Pain Disability Index

    The Pain Disability Index is a simple and rapid instrument for measuring the impact that pain has on the ability of a person to participate in essential life activities. The total score is a sum of all 7 categories of life activity listed. A score of 0 means no disability at all, and a score of 10 signifies that all of the activities in which people would normally be involved have been totally disrupted or prevented by the pain. The total index ranges from 0 to 70. The higher the index the greater the person's disability due to pain. Lower values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 months

  5. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

    The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was developed to assess depression and anxiety in patients. Responses are rated on a scale from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating higher severity. The ratings of the 14 items are summed to yield a total score (0 to 42), or for each subscale separately (0 to 21). 0 to 7 for normal or no anxiety/depression, 8 to 10 for mild, 11 to 14 for moderate, and 12 to 21 for severe anxiety/depression. Lower values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 months

  6. Helpfulness Rating

    Self-report rating "How helpful was the TENS for your fibromyalgia?" 0=not at all helpful, 10=very helpful.

    Measured: Post-treatment at 3 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted22 Oct 2018
  2. Study start1 Feb 2019
  3. Primary completion1 Dec 2020
  4. Study completion1 Dec 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
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
High frequency device vs. Low frequency device
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
119 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03714425
Sponsor's protocol ID
2018P002392
Status last verified
Jul 2022
First submitted
17 Oct 2018
Last updated
15 Aug 2022
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Jamison RN, Edwards RR, Curran S, Wan L, Ross EL, Gilligan CJ, Gozani SN. Effects of Wearable Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Pain Res. 2021 Jul 24;14:2265-2282. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S316371. eCollection 2021.

    PubMed 34335055

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Quell in people with Fibromyalgia, run by Brigham and Women's 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 4 inclusion and 8 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 15 Aug 2022. 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. 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.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 21 Jun 2022). 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?

Patients' Global Impression of Change (time frame: 3 months). 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 NCT03714425, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 15 Aug 2022.

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