Diabetes MellitusNCT04698720
Contribution of Psychological Factors in the Healing of the Diabetic Foot Ulcer
A study testing Muscle Relaxation with Guided Imagery, Hypnosis with Guided Imagery and Neutral Guided Imagery in people with Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Foot Ulcer, run by University of Minho at 3 sites in Portugal.
Trial summary
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are one of the most serious complications of diabetes and can lead to amputations in 85% of cases, resulting in physical, psychological, family, social and economic consequences. Research suggests that psychological factors may play an important role in DFU healing. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetic Foot Ulcer
- What is being tested?
- Muscle Relaxation with Guided Imagery, Hypnosis with Guided Imagery and Neutral Guided Imagery
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 69 participants
- Where
- 3 sitesPortugal
- Study dates
- 1 Feb 2019to 25 Jul 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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
- 18 years old or older;
- Diabetes Mellitus diagnosis;
- Diagnosis of Diabetic Foot;
- Having one or two active chronic ulcers (> 6 weeks and < 14 weeks) at the time of baseline assessment;
- Being followed at the Multidisciplinary Consultation of the Diabetic Foot from the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto (CHUP), at the Diabetic Foot Clinic from the Centro Hospitalar do Tâmega e Sousa (CHTS) and from the Multidisciplinary Consultation of the Diabetic Foot of the Hospital de Braga (HB);
- Presenting clinical levels of stress (scores > 13 for males and > 17 for females on the Perceived Stress Scale) or anxiety or depression (scores > 11 on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale);
- Providing written informed consent.
Who cannot join
- The active DFU at the time of the assessment being a relapse;
- Having more than two DFUs at the time of baseline assessment;
- Being on hemodialysis treatment;
- Presence of psychosis or dementia described in the patient's medical record;
- Having cancer disease;
- Having undergone a transplant;
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- Receiving psychological counselling at the time of the assessment.
- For the RCT qualitative nested study, twelve participants that completed at least 75% of the treatment or placebo sessions, and that report having a informal/ family caregiver will be invite the participate. Participants will be selected according to the following criteria:
- Two typical cases of successful and unsuccessful patients with neuropathic foot, defined by the presence of neuropathic pain (e.g., heat, tingling, electrical shock), presence of distal pulses by palpation, and loss of protective sensitivity;
- Two typical cases of successful and unsuccessful patients with neuroischemic foot, defined by the presence of peripheral artery disease, intense-variable pain, absence of distal pulses by palpation, and variable protective sensitivity.
Trial locations and contacts
3 sites in 1 country.
Portugal3 sites
Hospital de Braga
Braga, 4710-243
Clínica do Pé Diabético, Centro Hospitalar do Tâmega e Sousa
Penafiel, 4564-007
Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto
Porto, 4099-001
About this study
Official title: Contribution of Psychological Factors in the Healing of the Diabetic Foot Ulcer, in Physiological Indicators of Healing Prognosis and Quality of Life: a Randomized Longitudinal Trial With a Nested Qualitative Study of Effectiveness Assessment
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are one of the most serious complications of diabetes and can lead to amputations in 85% of cases, resulting in physical, psychological, family, social and economic consequences. Research suggests that psychological factors may play an important role in DFU healing. Relaxation and hypnosis seem to contribute to faster wound healing. More research is needed to assess the effectiveness of different types of intervention on different types of wounds, in particular chronic wounds such as DFU.
This study will evaluate the efficacy of relaxation and hypnosis, both with guided imagery, in DFU healing, physiological indicators (inflammatory, metabolic, oxidative stress, angiogenic, and miRNA biomarkers) of wound healing prognosis, and QoL, in patients with diabetic foot and a chronic ulcer. This study is a Randomized Controlled Study of a Psychological Intervention that aims to evaluate the efficiency of a muscle relaxation intervention with guided imagery (experimental group - EG1) compare to a hypnosis intervention with guided imagery (experimental group - EG2) and a neutral guided imagery placebo (active control group - ACG) and a group that does not receive any psychological intervention (passive control group - PCG).
Read more
This study will also examine, qualitatively, the perspectives of patients with DFU on the relaxation and hypnosis interventions, in order to check its effectiveness; as well as the perspectives of informal caregivers on this adjuvant therapys.
Participants must have a diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Foot; one or two chronic active ulcers at the time of assessment; and clinical levels of stress or anxiety or depression. Participants will be randomized by the four conditions - EG1, EG2, ACG and PCG - and assessed on the day of the first consultation or nursing treatment for chronic DFU (T0), two months later (T1), and six months later (T2; follow-up). Two weeks after T1, an interview will be conducted independently with patients that completed the relaxation, hypnosis, and placebo sessions, and with the informal caregivers who provided them the DFU care. The results of the present study will contribute for a better understanding of DFU progression, healing, prevention of re-ulceration and future amputations and, consequently, for the improvement of patients' quality of life.
Read the detailed description
General Aim:
This RCT aims to assess the effectiveness of a muscle relaxation intervention with guided imagery (EG1) compared to hypnosis with guided imagery intervention (EG2) and a neutral guided imagery placebo (ACG) and a group that does not receive any psychological intervention (PCG), in DFU healing, physiological indicators of healing prognosis, and quality of life (QoL), in patients with diabetic foot and a chronic ulcer.
This study will also examine, qualitatively, the perspectives of patients and their respective family caregivers regarding the interventions (EG1 and EG2) and placebo sessions in order to check the treatments' effectiveness.
Specific aim:
- To compare the impact of both experimental groups (EG1 and EG2) on psychological stress markers, in DFU healing, physiological indicators of healing prognosis, and QoL compared to the (PCG); between pre and post-intervention in the EG1 and EG2, controlling for clinical and sociodemographic variables, adherence to DFU care, and patients' literacy. Nested qualitative study specific aims:
- To understand the perspectives of patients and family caregivers on the efficacy of EG1 and EG2 interventions versus ACG sessions to the DFU healing, comparing cases with a positive evolution (healing of the DFU) with cases with a negative evolution (DFU non-healing).
Sample size calculation:
Using Sakpal formula (2010), and according to the descriptive results of the pilot study (Ferreira et al., 2022), considering the difference in the mean (1.93) and standard deviation (6) of the treatment versus passive control groups, with a statistical power of 80% and a statistical significance level of 5%, a definitive RCT will require 152 participants. Considering a dropout rate for intervention sessions of 11%, a definitive RCT with four groups will require a sample of 169 participants, with 42 patients per group (Ferreira et al., 2022).
Procedure:
The doctor or nurse, in the medical appointment, identifies patients that meet the medical inclusion criteria. Patients are invited to participate in the study by the Researcher at the end of the medical appointment and are informed about the aims of the study and the voluntary nature of participation through an informed and informative consent. If patients agree to participate, they will sign the consent form. Nurses will then complete RESVECH 2.0 at the end of the appointment and doctors will complete the clinical questionnaire. Afterward, the Researcher will accompany the patient to a room provided by the Hospital in order to administer the battery of questionnaires in the interview format.
After answering the questionnaires, the researcher will score the PSS and HADS instruments to confirm the presence of significant clinical levels of stress, anxiety or depression, and if the patient is eligible, at the end of that week, the participant will be randomized into one of four possible groups.
In the next diabetic foot appointment, the respective participant will be informed about the group to which he or she has been allocated and whether will benefit, if appropriate, from four sessions of relaxation (EG1), hypnosis (EG2), or neutral guided imagery (ACG). If allocated to the PCG, the patient will not receive any psychological or placebo session. If the participant is available, the first session will take place on the same day. The following sessions will be scheduled according to the medical diabetic foot consultations. In each session, two assessments of blood pressure and heart rate will be performed, before starting the session and at the end of the session. At the end of the fourth session, the T1 assessment will be performed, with a new administration of the questionnaires. Six months after T0, the T2 (follow-up) evaluation will take place, with the last administration of the questionnaires. At T0, T1 and T2 a blood and DFU swab sample will be collected for the evaluation of the physiological variables. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)s will be separated from the blood samples and frozen at -80ºC for analysis by the biochemical team member. Blood lymphocyte populations will be analyzed by flow cytometry and the quantification of blood cell populations will be performed by an automated hematological cell counter on fresh blood samples. The medical and nurse team member, as well as the lab technicians will not be aware of which group participants belong to.
The interviews with patients who completed the four sessions of EG1, EG2, and ACG, as well as their informal caregivers, will be conducted separately, two weeks after T1, by a different researcher than the one involved in the sessions conduction, to reduce the bias of social desirability.
Data analysis:
All standard statistical analyses will be done using the Rstudio, R version 3.6.2 (R Core Team, 2019) and the SPSS statistics, v. 24.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, IBM Corp, Armonk, New York). The baseline data of the treatments and control groups will be compared, using chi-squared test for binary variables and the t-test for continuous variables. The comparison between experimental groups (EG1 and EG2) and control groups (ACG and PCG) will be analyzed through Generalized Mixed Models.
A semi-structured interview guide consisting of open-ended questions will be administered to approximately 12 patients that benefited from interventions (EG1, EG2) and placebo (ACG) sessions), and 12 informal caregivers indicated by those patients. This script will remain unchanged throughout the interviews. The audio recording of the interviews will be done using a tablet, transcribed verbatim, and anonymized in order to safeguard participants and data confidentiality. The transcripts of the interviews will be analyzed in the same order as conducted, using the thematic content analysis technique, and the NVivo software (QSR International PtyLtd, 2018).
- Conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetic Foot Ulcer
- Being tested
- Muscle Relaxation with Guided Imagery, Hypnosis with Guided Imagery, Neutral Guided Imagery
- Keywords
- Diabetic Foot Ulcer, Ulcer Healing, Quality of Life, Hypnosis, Relaxation
- Medical subject headings
- Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetic Foot
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Muscle Relaxation with Guided ImageryBehavioural
Relaxation intervention session begins with diaphragmatic breathing, followed by Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation, which involves the contraction and subsequent relaxation of the 16 muscle groups of the body (forearm, arm, upper forehead, eye, mouth, jaw and throat, neck, shoulder, chest, stomach, thigh, leg and foot).The contraction is performed for 7 seconds while the relaxation lasts for about 40 to 50 seconds.The relaxation of the foot muscle group is only performed on the healthy foot, because dressing and bandages may bandage the foot with the DFU, which together with the typical joint stiffness of the diabetic foot, make it difficult to perform. After muscle relaxation, begins the guided imagery focused on DFU healing. The patient is instructed to think about his/her current state of health and to imagine the DFU as a dark area and the healing relaxation as a light associated to pleasant sensations, which will focus on the foot with DFU to heal it.
Hypnosis with Guided ImageryBehavioural
In the beginning of the first session we apply the Eye-Roll Test for Hypnotizability of Herbert Spiegel. Each session follows the Hypnotic Protocol with the following steps:Pre-talk/Absortion/Ratification/Aliciation/Dissociation/Awakening.
The four sessions train the participants in visual, auditory and kinesthetic perception on ulcer healing. The protocol also promotes medical treatment acceptance.
Neutral Guided ImageryBehavioural
This placebo consists of neutral guided imagery focused on themes of the patient's daily life before having DFU. Each session has a theme associated with the patient's life - family, work, friends, and leisure. Initially, the patient is asked to think about an event related to the theme of the session of his/her choice, positive or negative, which occurred before patient has the current DFU. Then, the patient is asked about a number of questions regarding the chosen episode in order to promote a more detailed reconstruction of the event. The patient is asked to imagine according to the instructions given by the Psychologist. When the whole episode is remembered, the patient is asked to tell what he or she imagined/remembered regarding each of the questions.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle Relaxation with Guided Imagery | Experimental | Participants in the Experimental Group 1 will receive four individual 45-minute sessions, every two weeks, of progressive muscle relaxation intervention with guided imagery focused on ulcer healing, carried out by the Psychologist responsible for implementing the project, on the day of the Diabetic Foot appointments. Receives: Behavioral: Muscle Relaxation with Guided Imagery |
| Hypnosis with Guided imagery | Experimental | Participants in the Experimental Group 2 will receive a four individual 45-minute sessions, every two weeks, of hypnosis intervention with guided imagery focused on ulcer healing, carried out by the qualified Hypnotherapists external to the research study, on the day of the Diabetic Foot appointments. Receives: Behavioral: Hypnosis with Guided Imagery |
| Active Control Group | Placebo comparator | Participants in the ACG will receive four individual 45-minute sessions of neutral guided imagery placebo focused on the patient's life before the foot ulcer, carried out by the Psychologist responsible for implementing the project, on the day of the Diabetic Foot appointments. Receives: Behavioral: Neutral Guided Imagery |
| Passive Control Group | No intervention | Participants in the PCG will not receive any intervention or placebo session. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Impact of the DFU on patients' quality of life
The Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale-Short Form (DFS-SF; Bann, Fehnel, \& Gagnon, 2003; Research version by Pereira et al., 2022) will be used to assess patients´ DFU-related quality of life. Raw scores are transformed into a scale from 0 to 100. Higher results correspond to better DFU-related quality of life.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Degree of DFU healing
The degree of DFU healing will be assessed with the Portuguese version of "Resultados esperados de la valoración y evolución de la cicatrización de las heridas crónicas" Scale [Expected results of the evaluation and evolution of the healing of chronic wounds Scale - RESVECH 2.0] (Marques, 2015). The scores range from 0 to 35, where zero indicates complete healing.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Physical quality of life
The Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36; Ferreira, 1998; Ferreira, Ferreira, \& Pereira, 2012) will be administered to assess patients' physical health-related quality of life. Raw scores are transformed into a scale from 0 to 100. Higher results correspond to better physical quality of life.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Mental quality of life
The Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36; Ferreira, 1998; Ferreira, Ferreira, \& Pereira, 2012) will be administered to assess patients' mental health-related quality of life. Raw scores are transformed into a scale from 0 to 100. Higher results correspond to better mental quality of life.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Metabolic marker
The quantification of HbA1c in the plasma will be performed using the competitive inhibition enzyme immunoassay Cloud Clone Corp
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Inflammatory markers
IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a levels will be evaluated in the plasma using a LEGENDplexTM Human Angiogenesis Panel 1 Mix and Match (9-plex). Blood lymphocyte populations will be assessed in the whole blood by flow cytometry and automated hematological cell counter.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Angiogenic markers
Angiopoietin-2, EGF, FGF-basic, PECAM-1, PIGF, and VEGF levels will be assessed in the plasma using a LEGENDplexTM Human Angiogenesis Panel 1 Mix and Match (9-plex).
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
miRNA markers
miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 will be assessed with SYBR Green technology, using the RNU6B gene as control.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Immune cells
Blood leukocyte and B and T-cell populations will be assessed in the whole blood by flow cytometry and automated hematological cell counter.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Secondary outcomes (5)
Perceived Stress
The overall stress perceived by the patient will be assessed through the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Trigo, Canudo, Branco, \& Silva, 2010). Scores range between 0 and 40, with higher results indicating higher levels of perceived stress.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Emotional Distress
The emotional distress will be assessed through the total score of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, comprising both anxiety and depression scales (HADS; Pais-Ribeiro et al., 2007). Scores range between 0 and 42, with higher results indicating higher levels of distress.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Anxiety symptoms
The anxious symptomatology will be assessed through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; Pais-Ribeiro et al., 2007). Scores range between 0 and 21, with higher results indicating higher levels of anxiety symptoms.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Depression symptoms
The depressive symptomatology will be assessed through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; Pais-Ribeiro et al., 2007). Scores range between 0 and 21, with higher results indicating higher levels of depression symptoms.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Representations regarding the DFU
Patient representations regarding the DFU will be evaluated through the Illness Perception Questionnaire - Brief (IPQ-B; Figueiras et al., 2010). The response scale ranges from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate more threatening representations regarding DFU.
Measured: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Jan 2021
- Study start1 Feb 2019
- Primary completion31 Dec 2021
- Study completion25 Jul 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (17)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Diabetes MellitusStudies 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 N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Parallel Assignment This is a Randomized Controlled Study of a Psychological Intervention (Grant et al., 2018). This study will use a mixed-methods approach nested in a 4-arm randomized control design. Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected in order to provide better understanding about the effectiveness of the hypnosis intervention in patients with DFU. Participants will be randomised at a ratio of 1:1 for the four conditions - EG1, EG2, ACG and PCG; and will be evaluated on the day of the first chronic DFU appointment or nursing treatment (T0), two months later (at the end of the intervention in EG, EG2, and ACG; T1), as well as six months later (T2) in a follow-up evaluation. Participants from all four groups will undergo standard treatment for the DFU, according to the guidelines of the Portuguese General Health Direction (DGS, 2010) and the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF, 2015).
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 69 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Minho
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Maria da Graça Pereira, University of Minho
- Investigators
- M. Graça Pereira, PhD, Study director, School of Psychology, University of Minho
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04698720
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PTCD/PSIGER/ 28163/2017
- Status last verified
- May 2024
- First submitted
- 30 Dec 2020
- Last updated
- 8 May 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Bann CM, Fehnel SE, Gagnon DD. Development and validation of the Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale-short form (DFS-SF). Pharmacoeconomics. 2003;21(17):1277-90. doi: 10.2165/00019053-200321170-00004.
PubMed 14986739Bardin L. Análise de Conteúdo [Content Analysis]. 2016; São Paulo, Brasil: Almedina. Brasil.
Brown CA, Lilford RJ. The stepped wedge trial design: a systematic review. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2006 Nov 8;6:54. doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-6-54.
PubMed 17092344Direção-Geral de Saúde, DGS [General Health Direction, Portugal] Circular Normativa Nº:05/PNPCD: Pé Diabético, Programa Nacional de Prevenção e Controlo da Diabetes (PNPCD) [Normative Circular Nº: 05 / PNPCD: Diabetic Foot, National Diabetes Prevention and Control Program]; 2010. Retrieved from http://www.dgs.pt/?cr=15718
Ferreira P. A medição do estado de saúde: Criação da versão portuguesa do MOS SF-36 [Measuring health status: Creation of the Portuguese version of MOS SF-36]. Coimbra: Centro de Estudos e Investigação em Saúde, Faculdade de Economia, Universidade de Coimbra; 1998. Ferreira PL, Ferreira LN, Pereira LN. Medidas sumário física e mental de estado de saúde para a população portuguesa [Physical and mental summary measures of health state for the Portuguese population]. Revista Portuguesa de Saúde Pública. 2012;30(2):163-171. doi:10.1016/j.rpsp.2012.12.007.
Ferreira V, Martins J, Loureiro L, Loureiro T, Borges L, Silveira D, … Almeida R. Consulta multidisciplinar do pé diabético: Avaliação dos fatores de mau prognóstico [Multidisciplinary consultation of diabetic foot - factors related with bad prognosis]. Angiologia e Cirurgia Vascular. 2014;10:146-150. doi:10.1016/ j.ancv.2014.08.005
Figueiras M, Marcelino DS, Claudino A, Cortes MA, Maroco J, Weinman J. Patients' illness schemata of hypertension: the role of beliefs for the choice of treatment. Psychol Health. 2010 Apr;25(4):507-17. doi: 10.1080/08870440802578961.
PubMed 20204931Grant S, Mayo-Wilson E, Montgomery P, Macdonald G, Michie S, Hopewell S, Moher D; , on behalf of the CONSORT-SPI Group. CONSORT-SPI 2018 Explanation and Elaboration: guidance for reporting social and psychological intervention trials. Trials. 2018 Jul 31;19(1):406. doi: 10.1186/s13063-018-2735-z.
PubMed 30060763International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot [IWGDF] International Consensus on the Diabetic Foot. International Diabetes Foundation; 2015. Retrieved from http://www.iwgdf.org/files/2015/website_prevention.pdf
Marques JM. Adaptação cultural e validação para a população portuguesa de um instrumento de monitorização de feridas crónicas - escala RESVECH 2.0 [Cultural adaptation and validation for the Portuguese population of a chronic wound monitoring instrument - RESVECH 2.0 scale] (Master's Thesis). Instituto de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Católica, Porto; 2015.
Pais-Ribeiro J, Silva I, Ferreira T, Martins A, Meneses R, Baltar M. Validation study of a Portuguese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Psychol Health Med. 2007 Mar;12(2):225-35; quiz 235-7. doi: 10.1080/13548500500524088. English, Portuguese.
PubMed 17365902Paiva D, Silva S, Severo M, Ferreira P, Santos O, Lunet N, Azevedo A. Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the health literacy assessment tool METER in the Portuguese adult population. Patient Educ Couns. 2014 Nov;97(2):269-75. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2014.07.024. Epub 2014 Jul 22.
PubMed 25107513Pandis N. Randomization. Part 3: allocation concealment and randomization implementation. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2012 Jan;141(1):126-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2011.09.003. No abstract available.
PubMed 22196195Spiegel H. An eye-roll test for hypnotizability. Am J Clin Hypn. 1972 Jul;15(1):25-8. doi: 10.1080/00029157.1972.10402206. No abstract available.
PubMed 4679812Trigo M, Canudo N, Branco F, Silva D. Estudo das propriedades psicométricas da Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) na população Portuguesa [Psychometric proprieties of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) in Portuguese population]. Psychologica. 2010;53:353-378. doi:10.14195/1647-8606_53_17
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 May 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Contribution of Psychological Factors in the Healing of the Diabetic Foot Ulcer, in Physiological Indicators of Healing Prognosis and Quality of Life: a Randomized Longitudinal Trial With a Nested Qualitative Study of Effectiveness Assessment
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04698720
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PTCD/PSIGER/ 28163/2017
- Conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetic Foot Ulcer
- Keywords
- Diabetic Foot Ulcer, Ulcer Healing, Quality of Life, Hypnosis, Relaxation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 69 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of MinhoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal
- Study start
- 1 Feb 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 25 Jul 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 7 Jan 2021 (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.
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are one of the most serious complications of diabetes and can lead to amputations in 85% of cases, resulting in physical, psychological, family, social and economic consequences. Research suggests that psychological factors may play an important role in DFU healing. Relaxation and hypnosis seem to contribute to faster wound healing. More research is needed to assess the effectiveness of different types of intervention on different types of wounds, in particular chronic wounds such as DFU.
This study will evaluate the efficacy of relaxation and hypnosis, both with guided imagery, in DFU healing, physiological indicators (inflammatory, metabolic, oxidative stress, angiogenic, and miRNA biomarkers) of wound healing prognosis, and QoL, in patients with diabetic foot and a chronic ulcer. This study is a Randomized Controlled Study of a Psychological Intervention that aims to evaluate the efficiency of a muscle relaxation intervention with guided imagery (experimental group - EG1) compare to a hypnosis intervention with guided imagery (experimental group - EG2) and a neutral guided imagery placebo (active control group - ACG) and a group that does not receive any psychological intervention (passive control group - PCG).
This study will also examine, qualitatively, the perspectives of patients with DFU on the relaxation and hypnosis interventions, in order to check its effectiveness; as well as the perspectives of informal caregivers on this adjuvant therapys.
Participants must have a diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Foot; one or two chronic active ulcers at the time of assessment; and clinical levels of stress or anxiety or depression. Participants will be randomized by the four conditions - EG1, EG2, ACG and PCG - and assessed on the day of the first consultation or nursing treatment for chronic DFU (T0), two months later (T1), and six months later (T2; follow-up). Two weeks after T1, an interview will be conducted independently with patients that completed the relaxation, hypnosis, and placebo sessions, and with the informal caregivers who provided them the DFU care. The results of the present study will contribute for a better understanding of DFU progression, healing, prevention of re-ulceration and future amputations and, consequently, for the improvement of patients' quality of life.
Detailed description
General Aim:
This RCT aims to assess the effectiveness of a muscle relaxation intervention with guided imagery (EG1) compared to hypnosis with guided imagery intervention (EG2) and a neutral guided imagery placebo (ACG) and a group that does not receive any psychological intervention (PCG), in DFU healing, physiological indicators of healing prognosis, and quality of life (QoL), in patients with diabetic foot and a chronic ulcer.
This study will also examine, qualitatively, the perspectives of patients and their respective family caregivers regarding the interventions (EG1 and EG2) and placebo sessions in order to check the treatments' effectiveness.
Specific aim:
- To compare the impact of both experimental groups (EG1 and EG2) on psychological stress markers, in DFU healing, physiological indicators of healing prognosis, and QoL compared to the (PCG); between pre and post-intervention in the EG1 and EG2, controlling for clinical and sociodemographic variables, adherence to DFU care, and patients' literacy. Nested qualitative study specific aims:
- To understand the perspectives of patients and family caregivers on the efficacy of EG1 and EG2 interventions versus ACG sessions to the DFU healing, comparing cases with a positive evolution (healing of the DFU) with cases with a negative evolution (DFU non-healing).
Sample size calculation:
Using Sakpal formula (2010), and according to the descriptive results of the pilot study (Ferreira et al., 2022), considering the difference in the mean (1.93) and standard deviation (6) of the treatment versus passive control groups, with a statistical power of 80% and a statistical significance level of 5%, a definitive RCT will require 152 participants. Considering a dropout rate for intervention sessions of 11%, a definitive RCT with four groups will require a sample of 169 participants, with 42 patients per group (Ferreira et al., 2022).
Procedure:
The doctor or nurse, in the medical appointment, identifies patients that meet the medical inclusion criteria. Patients are invited to participate in the study by the Researcher at the end of the medical appointment and are informed about the aims of the study and the voluntary nature of participation through an informed and informative consent. If patients agree to participate, they will sign the consent form. Nurses will then complete RESVECH 2.0 at the end of the appointment and doctors will complete the clinical questionnaire. Afterward, the Researcher will accompany the patient to a room provided by the Hospital in order to administer the battery of questionnaires in the interview format.
After answering the questionnaires, the researcher will score the PSS and HADS instruments to confirm the presence of significant clinical levels of stress, anxiety or depression, and if the patient is eligible, at the end of that week, the participant will be randomized into one of four possible groups.
In the next diabetic foot appointment, the respective participant will be informed about the group to which he or she has been allocated and whether will benefit, if appropriate, from four sessions of relaxation (EG1), hypnosis (EG2), or neutral guided imagery (ACG). If allocated to the PCG, the patient will not receive any psychological or placebo session. If the participant is available, the first session will take place on the same day. The following sessions will be scheduled according to the medical diabetic foot consultations. In each session, two assessments of blood pressure and heart rate will be performed, before starting the session and at the end of the session. At the end of the fourth session, the T1 assessment will be performed, with a new administration of the questionnaires. Six months after T0, the T2 (follow-up) evaluation will take place, with the last administration of the questionnaires. At T0, T1 and T2 a blood and DFU swab sample will be collected for the evaluation of the physiological variables. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)s will be separated from the blood samples and frozen at -80ºC for analysis by the biochemical team member. Blood lymphocyte populations will be analyzed by flow cytometry and the quantification of blood cell populations will be performed by an automated hematological cell counter on fresh blood samples. The medical and nurse team member, as well as the lab technicians will not be aware of which group participants belong to.
The interviews with patients who completed the four sessions of EG1, EG2, and ACG, as well as their informal caregivers, will be conducted separately, two weeks after T1, by a different researcher than the one involved in the sessions conduction, to reduce the bias of social desirability.
Data analysis:
All standard statistical analyses will be done using the Rstudio, R version 3.6.2 (R Core Team, 2019) and the SPSS statistics, v. 24.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, IBM Corp, Armonk, New York). The baseline data of the treatments and control groups will be compared, using chi-squared test for binary variables and the t-test for continuous variables. The comparison between experimental groups (EG1 and EG2) and control groups (ACG and PCG) will be analyzed through Generalized Mixed Models.
A semi-structured interview guide consisting of open-ended questions will be administered to approximately 12 patients that benefited from interventions (EG1, EG2) and placebo (ACG) sessions), and 12 informal caregivers indicated by those patients. This script will remain unchanged throughout the interviews. The audio recording of the interviews will be done using a tablet, transcribed verbatim, and anonymized in order to safeguard participants and data confidentiality. The transcripts of the interviews will be analyzed in the same order as conducted, using the thematic content analysis technique, and the NVivo software (QSR International PtyLtd, 2018).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 4
- Model description
- Parallel Assignment This is a Randomized Controlled Study of a Psychological Intervention (Grant et al., 2018). This study will use a mixed-methods approach nested in a 4-arm randomized control design. Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected in order to provide better understanding about the effectiveness of the hypnosis intervention in patients with DFU. Participants will be randomised at a ratio of 1:1 for the four conditions - EG1, EG2, ACG and PCG; and will be evaluated on the day of the first chronic DFU appointment or nursing treatment (T0), two months later (at the end of the intervention in EG, EG2, and ACG; T1), as well as six months later (T2) in a follow-up evaluation. Participants from all four groups will undergo standard treatment for the DFU, according to the guidelines of the Portuguese General Health Direction (DGS, 2010) and the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF, 2015).
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle Relaxation with Guided Imagery | Experimental | Behavioral: Muscle Relaxation with Guided ImageryParticipants in the Experimental Group 1 will receive four individual 45-minute sessions, every two weeks, of progressive muscle relaxation intervention with guided imagery focused on ulcer healing, carried out by the Psychologist responsible for implementing the project, on the day of the Diabetic Foot appointments. |
| Hypnosis with Guided imagery | Experimental | Behavioral: Hypnosis with Guided ImageryParticipants in the Experimental Group 2 will receive a four individual 45-minute sessions, every two weeks, of hypnosis intervention with guided imagery focused on ulcer healing, carried out by the qualified Hypnotherapists external to the research study, on the day of the Diabetic Foot appointments. |
| Active Control Group | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: Neutral Guided ImageryParticipants in the ACG will receive four individual 45-minute sessions of neutral guided imagery placebo focused on the patient's life before the foot ulcer, carried out by the Psychologist responsible for implementing the project, on the day of the Diabetic Foot appointments. |
| Passive Control Group | No intervention | –Participants in the PCG will not receive any intervention or placebo session. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- 18 years old or older;
- Diabetes Mellitus diagnosis;
- Diagnosis of Diabetic Foot;
- Having one or two active chronic ulcers (> 6 weeks and < 14 weeks) at the time of baseline assessment;
- Being followed at the Multidisciplinary Consultation of the Diabetic Foot from the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto (CHUP), at the Diabetic Foot Clinic from the Centro Hospitalar do Tâmega e Sousa (CHTS) and from the Multidisciplinary Consultation of the Diabetic Foot of the Hospital de Braga (HB);
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- The active DFU at the time of the assessment being a relapse;
- Having more than two DFUs at the time of baseline assessment;
- Being on hemodialysis treatment;
- Presence of psychosis or dementia described in the patient's medical record;
- Having cancer disease;
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle Relaxation with Guided ImageryRelaxation intervention session begins with diaphragmatic breathing, followed by Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation, which involves the contraction and subsequent relaxation of the 16 muscle groups of the body (forearm, arm, upper forehead, eye, mouth, jaw and throat, neck, shoulder, chest, stomach, thigh, leg and foot).The contraction is performed for 7 seconds while the relaxation lasts for about 40 to 50 seconds.The relaxation of the foot muscle group is only performed on the healthy foot, because dressing and bandages may bandage the foot with the DFU, which together with the typical joint stiffness of the diabetic foot, make it difficult to perform. After muscle relaxation, begins the guided imagery focused on DFU healing. The patient is instructed to think about his/her current state of health and to imagine the DFU as a dark area and the healing relaxation as a light associated to pleasant sensations, which will focus on the foot with DFU to heal it. | Behavioural | Muscle Relaxation with Guided Imagery |
| Hypnosis with Guided ImageryIn the beginning of the first session we apply the Eye-Roll Test for Hypnotizability of Herbert Spiegel. Each session follows the Hypnotic Protocol with the following steps:Pre-talk/Absortion/Ratification/Aliciation/Dissociation/Awakening. The four sessions train the participants in visual, auditory and kinesthetic perception on ulcer healing. The protocol also promotes medical treatment acceptance. | Behavioural | Hypnosis with Guided imagery |
| Neutral Guided ImageryThis placebo consists of neutral guided imagery focused on themes of the patient's daily life before having DFU. Each session has a theme associated with the patient's life - family, work, friends, and leisure. Initially, the patient is asked to think about an event related to the theme of the session of his/her choice, positive or negative, which occurred before patient has the current DFU. Then, the patient is asked about a number of questions regarding the chosen episode in order to promote a more detailed reconstruction of the event. The patient is asked to imagine according to the instructions given by the Psychologist. When the whole episode is remembered, the patient is asked to tell what he or she imagined/remembered regarding each of the questions. | Behavioural | Active Control Group |
Primary outcome
Impact of the DFU on patients' quality of life
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
The Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale-Short Form (DFS-SF; Bann, Fehnel, \& Gagnon, 2003; Research version by Pereira et al., 2022) will be used to assess patients´ DFU-related quality of life. Raw scores are transformed into a scale from 0 to 100. Higher results correspond to better DFU-related quality of life.
Degree of DFU healing
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
The degree of DFU healing will be assessed with the Portuguese version of "Resultados esperados de la valoración y evolución de la cicatrización de las heridas crónicas" Scale [Expected results of the evaluation and evolution of the healing of chronic wounds Scale - RESVECH 2.0] (Marques, 2015). The scores range from 0 to 35, where zero indicates complete healing.
Physical quality of life
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
The Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36; Ferreira, 1998; Ferreira, Ferreira, \& Pereira, 2012) will be administered to assess patients' physical health-related quality of life. Raw scores are transformed into a scale from 0 to 100. Higher results correspond to better physical quality of life.
Mental quality of life
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
The Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36; Ferreira, 1998; Ferreira, Ferreira, \& Pereira, 2012) will be administered to assess patients' mental health-related quality of life. Raw scores are transformed into a scale from 0 to 100. Higher results correspond to better mental quality of life.
Metabolic marker
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
The quantification of HbA1c in the plasma will be performed using the competitive inhibition enzyme immunoassay Cloud Clone Corp
Inflammatory markers
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a levels will be evaluated in the plasma using a LEGENDplexTM Human Angiogenesis Panel 1 Mix and Match (9-plex). Blood lymphocyte populations will be assessed in the whole blood by flow cytometry and automated hematological cell counter.
Angiogenic markers
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Angiopoietin-2, EGF, FGF-basic, PECAM-1, PIGF, and VEGF levels will be assessed in the plasma using a LEGENDplexTM Human Angiogenesis Panel 1 Mix and Match (9-plex).
miRNA markers
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 will be assessed with SYBR Green technology, using the RNU6B gene as control.
Immune cells
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Blood leukocyte and B and T-cell populations will be assessed in the whole blood by flow cytometry and automated hematological cell counter.
5 secondary outcomes
Perceived Stress
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Emotional Distress
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Anxiety symptoms
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Depression symptoms
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
Representations regarding the DFU
Time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)
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 8 May 2024.
- Background: PubMed 14986739Bann CM, Fehnel SE, Gagnon DD. Development and validation of the Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale-short form (DFS-SF). Pharmacoeconomics. 2003;21(17):1277-90. doi: 10.2165/00019053-200321170-00004.
- BackgroundBardin L. Análise de Conteúdo [Content Analysis]. 2016; São Paulo, Brasil: Almedina. Brasil.
- Background: PubMed 17092344Brown CA, Lilford RJ. The stepped wedge trial design: a systematic review. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2006 Nov 8;6:54. doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-6-54.
- BackgroundDireção-Geral de Saúde, DGS [General Health Direction, Portugal] Circular Normativa Nº:05/PNPCD: Pé Diabético, Programa Nacional de Prevenção e Controlo da Diabetes (PNPCD) [Normative Circular Nº: 05 / PNPCD: Diabetic Foot, National Diabetes Prevention and Control Program]; 2010. Retrieved from http://www.dgs.pt/?cr=15718
- BackgroundFerreira P. A medição do estado de saúde: Criação da versão portuguesa do MOS SF-36 [Measuring health status: Creation of the Portuguese version of MOS SF-36]. Coimbra: Centro de Estudos e Investigação em Saúde, Faculdade de Economia, Universidade de Coimbra; 1998. Ferreira PL, Ferreira LN, Pereira LN. Medidas sumário física e mental de estado de saúde para a população portuguesa [Physical and mental summary measures of health state for the Portuguese population]. Revista Portuguesa de Saúde Pública. 2012;30(2):163-171. doi:10.1016/j.rpsp.2012.12.007.
- BackgroundFerreira V, Martins J, Loureiro L, Loureiro T, Borges L, Silveira D, … Almeida R. Consulta multidisciplinar do pé diabético: Avaliação dos fatores de mau prognóstico [Multidisciplinary consultation of diabetic foot - factors related with bad prognosis]. Angiologia e Cirurgia Vascular. 2014;10:146-150. doi:10.1016/ j.ancv.2014.08.005
- Background: PubMed 20204931Figueiras M, Marcelino DS, Claudino A, Cortes MA, Maroco J, Weinman J. Patients' illness schemata of hypertension: the role of beliefs for the choice of treatment. Psychol Health. 2010 Apr;25(4):507-17. doi: 10.1080/08870440802578961.
- Background: PubMed 30060763Grant S, Mayo-Wilson E, Montgomery P, Macdonald G, Michie S, Hopewell S, Moher D; , on behalf of the CONSORT-SPI Group. CONSORT-SPI 2018 Explanation and Elaboration: guidance for reporting social and psychological intervention trials. Trials. 2018 Jul 31;19(1):406. doi: 10.1186/s13063-018-2735-z.
- BackgroundInternational Working Group on the Diabetic Foot [IWGDF] International Consensus on the Diabetic Foot. International Diabetes Foundation; 2015. Retrieved from http://www.iwgdf.org/files/2015/website_prevention.pdf
- BackgroundMarques JM. Adaptação cultural e validação para a população portuguesa de um instrumento de monitorização de feridas crónicas - escala RESVECH 2.0 [Cultural adaptation and validation for the Portuguese population of a chronic wound monitoring instrument - RESVECH 2.0 scale] (Master's Thesis). Instituto de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Católica, Porto; 2015.
- Background: PubMed 17365902Pais-Ribeiro J, Silva I, Ferreira T, Martins A, Meneses R, Baltar M. Validation study of a Portuguese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Psychol Health Med. 2007 Mar;12(2):225-35; quiz 235-7. doi: 10.1080/13548500500524088. English, Portuguese.
- Background: PubMed 25107513Paiva D, Silva S, Severo M, Ferreira P, Santos O, Lunet N, Azevedo A. Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the health literacy assessment tool METER in the Portuguese adult population. Patient Educ Couns. 2014 Nov;97(2):269-75. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2014.07.024. Epub 2014 Jul 22.
- 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.
M. Graça Pereira, PhD study director
School of Psychology, University of Minho
3 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Muscle Relaxation with Guided Imagery, Hypnosis with Guided Imagery and Neutral Guided Imagery in people with Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Foot Ulcer, run by University of Minho at 3 sites in Portugal.
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 7 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 8 May 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 3 sites in Portugal. 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?
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?
Impact of the DFU on patients' quality of life (time frame: Changes from baseline (T0) to the end of intervention/ 2 months later at post-test (T1), and after 6 months follow-up (T2)). The study lists 9 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT04698720, which also lists 17 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 8 May 2024.