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Trigeminal NeuralgiaNCT05810428

Artificial Intelligence to Predict Surgical Outcomes and Assess Pain Neuromodulation in Trigeminal Neuralgia Subjects

A study testing GKRS-VR training in people with Trigeminal Neuralgia and Trigeminal Nerve Diseases, run by IRCCS San Raffaele at 1 site in Italy.

Enrolling by invitation

Enrolling by invitation. The study team selects and invites participants, usually from an existing group of patients.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the most common cause of facial pain. Medical treatment is the first therapeutic choice whereas surgery, including Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS), is indicated in case of pharmacological therapy failure. However, about 20% of subjects lack adequate pain relief after surgery. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
GKRS-VR training
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
50 participants
Where
1 siteItaly
Study dates
6 Apr 2023to 30 Apr 2027
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • diagnosis of TN according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, third edition (ICHD-3) criteria;
  • age >18 years;
  • indication to undergo radiosurgical treatment;
  • willingness and ability to comply with scheduled visits and other trial procedures.

Who cannot join

  • Any person unable to lie still within the environment of the MRI scanner for the required period to perform the study and those where MRI scanning is contraindicated;
  • metal implants, pacemaker, etc.;
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding;
  • Any significant psychiatric disease;
  • Use of illicit drugs;
  • Brain pathology shown by brain MRI and/or neurophysiological examination;
  • Any person unable to understand and follow the instructions of the investigators;
  • Any other condition according to the Investigator would make the subject unsuitable for the study.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Italy1 site
  • IRCCS San Raffaele

    Milan, 20132

Other trials in Italy

About this study

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the most common cause of facial pain. Medical treatment is the first therapeutic choice whereas surgery, including Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS), is indicated in case of pharmacological therapy failure. However, about 20% of subjects lack adequate pain relief after surgery. Virtual reality (VR) technology has been explored as a novel tool for reducing pain perception and might be the breakthrough in treatment-resistant cases. The investigators will conduct a prospective randomized comparative study to detect the effectiveness of GKRS aided by VR-training vs GKRS alone in TN patients. In addition, using MRI and artificial intelligence (AI), the investigators will identify pre-treatment abnormalities of central nervous system circuits associated with pain to predict response to treatment. The investigators expect that brain-based biomarkers, with clinical features, will provide key information in the personalization of treatment options and bring a huge impact in the management and understanding of pain in TN.

Being tested
GKRS-VR training, Control Group
Medical subject headings
Trigeminal Neuralgia, Trigeminal Nerve Diseases

What participants receive

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

  • GKRS-VR trainingProcedure or surgery

    One month after radiosurgery, GKRS-VR subjects will receive neuromodulation treatment twice a week (30' per time), for 8 consecutive weeks followed by 9 months of remote rehabilitation. GKRS-VR group will perform neuromodulation based on VR sensorimotor rehabilitation using an immersive system developed ad-hoc. Treatments will include voluntary mimic movements reinforced by VR augmented feedback, consisting in the reflection of a real-time avatar animation, multiplied when needed, associated with different targets to reach based on specific facial gestures. The execution of motion multiplier on avatar will be allowed in order to personalize treatments, emphasizing a graded exposure to pain perception. In addition, the investigators will develop a dedicated mobile-application for remote rehabilitation with the aim of prescribing VR augmented feedback home exercises and immersive VR pain neuromodulation.

  • Control GroupProcedure or surgery

    Control Group will undergo only radiosurgery with no rehabilitation and they will perform only clinical evaluation at study entry, after three months and one year.

Study groups in NCT05810428
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
GKRS-VR trainingExperimentalGKRS-VR group will undergo GKRS and neuromodulation based on Virtual Reality sensorimotor rehabilitation using an immersive system
Receives: Procedure: GKRS-VR training
Control GroupActive comparatorControl group (CT) will undergo only GKRS
Receives: Procedure: Control Group
Healthy subjectsNo interventionAge- and sex-matched healthy subjects recruited to compare neuropsychological,clinical and structural/functional magnetic resonance imaging characteristics at baseline.

What is being measured

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

  1. Numeric Rating Scale for pain (NRS) changes

    Changes in time in the Numeric rating scale (NRS): a pain screening tool, commonly used to assess pain severity at that moment in time using a 0-10 scale, with zero meaning "no pain" and 10 meaning "the worst pain imaginable"

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  2. Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain score changes

    Changes in time in the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain intensity scale to assess the level of pain in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. BNI values I-III were considered to indicate good outcomes whereas BNI values IV and V indicate poor response to treatment.

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

Secondary outcomes (13)
  1. McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) changes

    The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) can be used to evaluate a person experiencing significant pain. It can be used to monitor the pain over time and to determine the effectiveness of any intervention. The users are presented with a list of 78 words in 20 sections that are related to pain.The users mark the words that best describe their pain (multiple markings are allowed). Among the words, sections of these words signify different components of pain, namely, Sensory (sections 1-10), Affective (sections 11-15), Evaluative (section 16), and Miscellaneous (sections 17-20).

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  2. Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)

    The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) assesses the extent of catastrophic thinking. It is a 13-item scale, with a total range of 0 to 52. Higher scores are associated with higher amounts of pain catastrophizing.

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  3. Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) changes

    The Central Sensitisation Inventory (CSI) is a self-report outcome measure designed to identify patients who have symptoms that may be related to central sensitisation.The CSI consists of two parts: Part A includes 25 questions related to common central sensitivity syndromes symptoms.Part B determines if the patient has been diagnosed with certain central sensitivity syndromes disorders or related disorders, such as anxiety and depression.

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  4. Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) changes

    The Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) is a 17-item questionnaire that quantifies fear of movement. Individual item scores range from 1-4, with the negatively worded items (4,8,12,16) having a reverse scoring (4-1). The 17 item TSK total scores range from 17 to 68 where the lowest 17 means no or negligible kinesiophobia, and the higher scores indicate an increasing degree of kinesiophobia.

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  5. Craniofacial Pain and Disability Inventory (CFPDI) changes

    Craniofacial Pain and Disability Inventory (CF-PDI) can be used in research and clinical practice for the assessment of patients with craniofacial pain. It is a 21-item measure and patients give their answers using a 4-point Likert scale scoring from 1 (no problem) to 4 (maximum problem). The scale presents two factors, named Pain and disability (14 items) and Jaw functional status (7 items). The scores of the responses are added with higher scores indicating greater problems

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  6. Penn Facial Pain Scale (PFPS) changes

    The Penn Facial Pain Scale (Penn-FPS) was originally developed in order to fully assess the impact of trigeminal neuralgia pain on patients' health-related quality of life. It is a 7-item scale, with a total range of 0 to 10.

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  7. Percentage of displacement of virtual face landmarks

    Percentage of displacement of virtual face landmarks

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  8. 12-item Allodynia Symptom Checklist (ASC-12) scale changes

    presence of allodynia and hypoesthesia; It is a 12-item scale, with a total range of 0 to 12.

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  9. Trigeminal reflexes testing

    A series of reflex responses after electrical stimulation of the ophthalmic division (R1 and R2) and maxillary/mandibular division (SP1 and SP2) of the trigeminal nerve

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  10. Longitudinal changes of brain gray matter volumes

    3D T1-weighted sequence wil be used to evaluate cortical thickness and subcortical volume changes

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  11. Longitudinal changes of white matter microstructural abnormalities

    White matter damage will be evaluated on diffusion-tensor MRI sequence

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  12. Resting-State Functional Connectivity MRI changes

    Longitudinal changes will be evaluated on functional MRI sequences

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

  13. Functional MRI changes

    Functional MRI will be acquired on a 3T scanner during the performance of a task, in which participants will be asked to observe facial gestures during activities of daily living or specific movements different for each subject depending on which action triggers the facial pain.

    Measured: Baseline, month 3 and month 12

Timeline

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

  1. First posted12 Apr 2023
  2. Study start6 Apr 2023
  3. Primary completion30 Nov 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Apr 2027 (estimated)

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
Single centre, randomized controlled trial, assessor blinded. The investigators plan to enroll 50 TN patients with indications to undergo surgical treatment. Fifty TN participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: individuals in the experimental group (GKRS-VR) will undergo GKRS followed by immersive VR-based sensorimotor neuromodulation training, whilst control group (CT) will undergo only GKRS. A group of 50 age- and sex-matched controls will also be recruited.
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
50 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05810428
Sponsor's protocol ID
GR-2021-12374601
Status last verified
Feb 2026
First submitted
29 Mar 2023
Last updated
27 Feb 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Barzaghi LR, Pompeo E, Albano L, Del Vecchio A, Mortini P. Gamma Knife radiosurgery for cluster-tic syndrome unresponsive to medical treatment: illustrative case. J Neurosurg Case Lessons. 2021 Jul 26;2(4):CASE2191. doi: 10.3171/CASE2191. eCollection 2021 Jul 26.

    PubMed 35854679
  • Barzaghi LR, Albano L, Scudieri C, Gigliotti CR, Nadin F, Del Vecchio A, Mortini P. Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia: Role of Trigeminal Length and Pontotrigeminal Angle on Target Definition and on Clinical Effects. World Neurosurg. 2020 Oct;142:e140-e150. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.06.147. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

    PubMed 32599193
  • Albano L, Agosta F, Basaia S, Castellano A, Messina R, Parisi V, Barzaghi LR, Falini A, Mortini P, Filippi M. Alterations of brain structural MRI are associated with outcome of surgical treatment in trigeminal neuralgia. Eur J Neurol. 2022 Jan;29(1):305-317. doi: 10.1111/ene.15105. Epub 2021 Sep 24.

    PubMed 34519132
  • Filippi M, Agosta F, Scola E, Canu E, Magnani G, Marcone A, Valsasina P, Caso F, Copetti M, Comi G, Cappa SF, Falini A. Functional network connectivity in the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia. Cortex. 2013 Oct;49(9):2389-401. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2012.09.017. Epub 2012 Oct 24.

    PubMed 23164495
  • Filippi M, Basaia S, Canu E, Imperiale F, Meani A, Caso F, Magnani G, Falautano M, Comi G, Falini A, Agosta F. Brain network connectivity differs in early-onset neurodegenerative dementia. Neurology. 2017 Oct 24;89(17):1764-1772. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000004577. Epub 2017 Sep 27.

    PubMed 28954876
  • Agosta F, Spinelli EG, Marjanovic IV, Stevic Z, Pagani E, Valsasina P, Salak-Djokic B, Jankovic M, Lavrnic D, Kostic VS, Filippi M. Unraveling ALS due to SOD1 mutation through the combination of brain and cervical cord MRI. Neurology. 2018 Feb 20;90(8):e707-e716. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000005002. Epub 2018 Jan 24.

    PubMed 29367447
  • Basaia S, Agosta F, Cividini C, Trojsi F, Riva N, Spinelli EG, Moglia C, Femiano C, Castelnovo V, Canu E, Falzone Y, Monsurro MR, Falini A, Chio A, Tedeschi G, Filippi M. Structural and functional brain connectome in motor neuron diseases: A multicenter MRI study. Neurology. 2020 Nov 3;95(18):e2552-e2564. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000010731. Epub 2020 Sep 10.

    PubMed 32913015
  • Basaia S, Agosta F, Diez I, Bueicheku E, d'Oleire Uquillas F, Delgado-Alvarado M, Caballero-Gaudes C, Rodriguez-Oroz M, Stojkovic T, Kostic VS, Filippi M, Sepulcre J. Neurogenetic traits outline vulnerability to cortical disruption in Parkinson's disease. Neuroimage Clin. 2022;33:102941. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102941. Epub 2022 Jan 19.

    PubMed 35091253
  • Basaia S, Agosta F, Wagner L, Canu E, Magnani G, Santangelo R, Filippi M; Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Automated classification of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment using a single MRI and deep neural networks. Neuroimage Clin. 2019;21:101645. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.101645. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

    PubMed 30584016
  • Alemanno F, Houdayer E, Emedoli D, Locatelli M, Mortini P, Mandelli C, Raggi A, Iannaccone S. Efficacy of virtual reality to reduce chronic low back pain: Proof-of-concept of a non-pharmacological approach on pain, quality of life, neuropsychological and functional outcome. PLoS One. 2019 May 23;14(5):e0216858. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216858. eCollection 2019.

    PubMed 31120892
  • Emedoli D, Arosio M, Tettamanti A, Iannaccone S. Virtual Reality Augmented Feedback Rehabilitation Associated to Action Observation Therapy in Buccofacial Apraxia: Case Report. Clin Med Insights Case Rep. 2021 Feb 15;14:1179547621994579. doi: 10.1177/1179547621994579. eCollection 2021.

    PubMed 33642888

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing GKRS-VR training in people with Trigeminal Neuralgia and Trigeminal Nerve Diseases, run by IRCCS San Raffaele at 1 site in Italy.

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: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Feb 2026. 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 Italy. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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?

Numeric Rating Scale for pain (NRS) changes (time frame: Baseline, month 3 and month 12). The study lists 2 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 NCT05810428, which also lists 11 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 27 Feb 2026.

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