Recruiting

Quantitative Sensory Testing

Sponsor:

Anna Evans Phillips

Code:

NCT03434392

Conditions

Chronic Pancreatitis

Chronic Pain

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Quantitative Sensory Test 1

Quantitative Sensory Test 2

Quantitative Sensory Test 3

Study Details

Brief summary:

Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) is a novel investigative technique used in other pain conditions to evaluate patterns of chronic pain, and in this study will be used to elucidate pain patterns in patients with Chronic Pancreatitis (CP). QST uses a specific series of standardized stimulations to map the pain system. QST has the potential to change and improve the treatment paradigm for patients with CP and may eventually be able to predict response to invasive CP therapies.

Conditions

Chronic Pancreatitis

Chronic Pain

Study ID

NCT03434392

Start date

Oct 24, 2017

Status verified date

Dec, 2025

Completion date

Jun 30, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun 30, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Subjects with no pancreatic disease and no abdominal pain, or patients with a diagnosis of functional dyspepsia.

  • Subjects are 18 years or older in age
  • Subjects must be able to read and understand the study information.
  • Personally signed and dated informed consent document indicating that the subject has been informed of all pertinent aspects of the study.
  • Subject is willing and able to comply with the scheduled visits, questionnaires, treatment plan, and other study procedures.
2. Suspected CPs Inclusion Criteria

  • Subjects are 18 years or older in age
  • Subjects with a) Indeterminate CP (Cambridge 1 or 2 on CT scan or MRI/MRCP) who have abdominal pain without prior history of AP, or b) those with acute (AP) or recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) who have recovered from their attack(s) of AP, whose imaging studies are either normal or show changes consistent with Cambridge classification of 1 or 2, and they have ongoing abdominal pain. Both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects will be allowed to enter the study.
  • Subjects must be able to read and understand the study information.
  • Subjects must suffer from abdominal pain suspected to be pancreatic origin with an intensity above 3 on the visual analogue scale (VAS, where 0=no pain and 10= intolerable pain), and meet the criteria for chronic pain (pain ≥ 3 days per week for at least 3 months).
  • Personally signed and dated informed consent document indicating that the subject has been informed of all pertinent aspects of the study.
  • Subjects willing and able to comply with the scheduled visits, questionnaires, and other study procedures.
3. Definite Chronic Pancreatitis - Inclusion Criteria

  • Subjects are 18 years or older in age
  • Subjects will have a prior confirmed diagnosis of CP on CT scan or MRI/MRCP according to Cambridge Classification (grade 3 or 4). Both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects will be allowed to enter the study.
  • Subjects must be able to read and understand the study information.
  • Personally signed and dated informed consent document indicating that the subject has been informed of all pertinent aspects of the study.
  • Subjects willing and able to comply with the scheduled visits, questionnaires, and other study procedures.
4. Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction (SOD) Type 1 or Type 2 Inclusion Criteria

  • Subjects are 18 years or older in age
  • Subjects have prior diagnosis of Type 1 or Type 2 Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction (subjects with biliary pain accompanied by biochemical features of transient biliary tract obstruction including elevated transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, or conjugated bilirubin; may also be accompanied by biliary or pancreatic ductal dilation on imaging)
  • Subjects must be able to read and understand the study information.
  • Personally signed and dated informed consent document indicating that the subject has been informed of all pertinent aspects of the study.
  • Subjects willing and able to comply with the scheduled visits, questionnaires, and other study procedures.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Subjects with no pancreatic disease and no abdominal pain, or patients with a diagnosis of functional dyspepsia.

  • Subjects with evidence or history of medical or surgical disease of importance for this study as judged by investigator.
  • Subjects suffering from painful conditions that make them unable to distinguish the pain associated with CP from chronic pain of other origins.
  • Subjects with known pregnancy at the time of enrolment.
  • Subjects who have previously undergone surgical intervention on their pancreas.
2. Suspected CPs Exclusion Criteria

  • Subjects with evidence or history of medical or surgical disease of importance for this study as judged by investigator.
  • Subjects suffering from painful conditions other than pancreatitis or SOD type 1 or 2 that make them unable to distinguish the pain associated with pancreatitis or SOD from chronic pain of other origins.
  • Subjects with known pregnancy at the time of enrolment.
  • Subjects who have previously undergone surgical intervention on their pancreas.
3. Definite Chronic Pancreatitis Exclusion Criteria

  • Subjects with evidence or history of medical or surgical disease of importance for this study as judged by investigator.
  • Subjects suffering from painful conditions other than pancreatitis or SOD type 1 or 2 that make them unable to distinguish the pain associated with pancreatitis or SOD from chronic pain of other origins.
  • Subjects with known pregnancy at the time of enrolment.
  • Subjects who have previously undergone surgical intervention on their pancreas.
4. Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction (SOD) Type 1 or Type 2 Exclusion Criteria

  • Subjects with evidence or history of medical or surgical disease of importance for this study as judged by investigator.
  • Subjects suffering from painful conditions other than pancreatitis or SOD that make them unable to distinguish the pain associated with pancreatitis or SOD from chronic pain of other origins.
  • Subjects with known pregnancy at the time of enrolment.
  • Subjects who have previously undergone surgical intervention on their pancreas.

Study Design

Enrollment

500 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Non randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Diagnostic

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: Healthy Controls

Subjects with no pancreatic disease and no abdominal pain.

Subjects will undergo the following Interventions:

Quantitative Sensory Test 1, Quantitative Sensory Test 2, and Quantitative Sensory Test 3, They will also fill out validated questionnaires.

active comparator: Suspected CP

Suspected Chronic Pancreatitis patients.

Subjects will undergo the following Interventions:

Quantitative Sensory Test 1, Quantitative Sensory Test 2, and Quantitative Sensory Test 3, They will also fill out validated questionnaires.

active comparator: Definite CP

Definite Chronic Pancreatitis patients.

Subjects will undergo the following Interventions:

Quantitative Sensory Test 1, Quantitative Sensory Test 2, and Quantitative Sensory Test 3, They will also fill out validated questionnaires.

A subset of these patients who undergo endotherapy as per clinical recommendation from clinical provider independent of this study will be followed for 6 months after their clinical intervention for repeat Quantitative Sensory Test 1, Quantitative Sensory Test 2, and Quantitative Sensory Test 3 and questionnaires.

active comparator: Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction or Functional Dyspepsia

Patients with Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction Type 1 or Type 2, or who have a prior diagnosis of Functional Dyspepsia.

Subjects will undergo the following Interventions:

Quantitative Sensory Test 1, Quantitative Sensory Test 2, and Quantitative Sensory Test 3, They will also fill out validated questionnaires.

Interventions

Quantitative Sensory Test 1

Subject will give pain rating (on Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) 0-10) of single as well as multiple stimulation with round-tip non-invasive pin-prick device. Difference is recorded as Temporal Summation Score.

Quantitative Sensory Test 2

Subject will state when they first detect pain and pain detection threshold in response to pressure administration with pressure algometer. Pressure threshold recorded in kilopascals(kP). Stimulation will be repeated in pancreatic and control dermatomes. Subject will then state pain tolerance threshold at same locations. Sensitization will be characterized by ratio of pancreatic vs. control dermatome scores.

Quantitative Sensory Test 3

Subject will apply dominant hand to ice-chilled water bath (36F) for up to 2 minutes. Pain score (VAS 0-10) will be assessed each 10 seconds. Pain tolerance threshold (in kP) will be assessed with algometer on non-dominant thigh before and after water bath to determine change in threshold. Difference in pain tolerance recorded as Conditioned Pain Modulation Score.

Primary outcome measure

  • Pain Pattern Assessment as assessed by the combination of Temporal Summation score, Sensitization score, and Conditioned Pain Modulation score [ Time Frame: One-time baseline testing ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Anna Evans-Phillips, MD

412-624-4560evansac3@upmc.edu

Apsara Mishra

apm179@pitt.edu

Locations

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

Recruiting

Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Vikesh K. Singh, M.D.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Recruiting

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213

Contacts

Anna Evans-Phillips, MD

412-624-4560evansac3@upmc.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Anna Evans Phillips

Last update posted

Dec 18, 2025

Last verified

Dec, 2025

Keywords

  • Chronic Pain
  • Chronic Pancreatitis
  • Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction
  • Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis
  • Chronic Abdominal Pain
  • Functional Dyspepsia

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Anna Evans Phillips on 2025-12-18.