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Spinal Cord InjuryNCT02034331

IR and Microvascular Blood Flow in SCI

A study testing Insulin iontophoresis, Acetylcholine Iontophoresis and Heat application in people with Spinal Cord Injury and Insulin Resistance, run by James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center 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

Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at an increased risk for metabolic disorders, including that of insulin resistance. As a result of neurological injury, they often have impaired mechanisms that regulate blood vessel function below the level of injury. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 20 to 69 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Spinal Cord Injury, Insulin Resistance
What is being tested?
Insulin iontophoresis, Acetylcholine Iontophoresis and Heat application
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
68 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Dec 2012to Dec 2016
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 20 to 69 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Male or female, age 20 to 69;
  • Chronic (e.g., duration of injury at least 6 months), stable SCI (regardless of level of neurological lesion);
  • American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) designation of A or B (reflects the level of somato-sensory impairment below the neurological level of injury: AIS A being complete sensory and motor lesion; AIS B being incomplete sensory and complete motor lesion);
  • Neurologically intact, age-matched control subjects
  • insulin-sensitive group: Si ≥ 2.5 min-1 ∙ mU-1 ∙ L x 104; and
  • insulin resistant group: Si < 2.5 min-1 ∙ mU-1 ∙ L x 104

Who cannot join

  • Diminished mental capacity;
  • Inability or unwillingness of subject to provide informed consent;
  • Acute illness or infection;
  • Current pharmacological treatment for diabetes mellitus or insulin resistance with exogenous insulin (or its synthetic dialogues), insulin-sensitizing agents, or agents that alter pancreatic secretion of insulin;
  • Current pharmacological treatment with sympathomimetic agents demonstrating direct vascular actions or indirect implications (e.g., alpha-1 agonists, cholinesterase inhibitors, norepinephrine, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzymes);
  • Moderate to high dose glucocorticoid administrations (i.e., ≥ 40mg prednisone or equivalent steroid dose) within the past 3 months;
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  • Atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, or history of myocardial infarction;
  • Previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or insulin resistance; and
  • AIS designation of C, D or E (for SCI subjects only).

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • James J. Peters VA Medical Center

    The Bronx, New York, 10468

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Insulin Resistance and Microvascular Blood Flow in Spinal Cord Injury

Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at an increased risk for metabolic disorders, including that of insulin resistance. As a result of neurological injury, they often have impaired mechanisms that regulate blood vessel function below the level of injury. Insulin, which facilitates the transport of glucose into muscle cells, is also capable of regulating skin blood flow, with insulin resistance reducing perfusion. Although beyond the scope of this proposal, the possibility exists that impaired microvascular skin blood flow responses due to insulin may further predispose to ischemia of the skin at pressure points of bony prominence. This perturbed cutaneous vascular response may place persons with SCI at risk for the development and poor healing of pressure ulcers due to microvascular dysfunction secondary to neurologic and metabolic disorders.

Primary Aim: To determine the association between systemic insulin sensitivity and insulin-mediated vasodilatation below the neurological level of injury.

Read more

We hypothesize that individuals with systemic insulin sensitivity compared to those with insulin resistance will have greater insulin-mediated vasodilatation and an associated proportional increase in cutaneous blood perfusion. Thus, intact and appropriate endothelial-mediated regulation by insulin will be operative despite sub-lesional neurological impairment in insulin sensitive individuals with SCI. However, because of the absence of the SNS-mediated insulin action on the microvasculature (i.e., insulin-mediated sympathetic withdrawal), it is being hypothesized that the vasodilatory response to iontophoresis with insulin in insulin sensitive subjects with SCI will be less than that observed in neurologically intact controls with insulin sensitivity.

Secondary Aim: To compare peak microvascular perfusion responses to endothelial-dependent vasodilatation by iontophoresis with acetylcholine to insulin.

We hypothesize that the peak blood perfusion responses to iontophoresis with insulin will be comparable in magnitude to that of acetylcholine in individuals with greater systemic insulin sensitivity. This will be in contrast to individuals with systemic insulin resistance who will demonstrate a diminished response to iontophoresis with insulin when compared to that of acetylcholine. Because of SNS impairment, the peak vasodilatory response observed to these interventions will be lower in the group with SCI.

Read the detailed description

Cutaneous microvascular blood flow is regulated by multiple mechanisms, including that by insulin and by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Insulin is the principal hormone responsible for the disposal and storage of glucose in skeletal muscle, in part by the re-direction of blood flow through the rhythmic dilatation or contraction of arterioles. In insulin-sensitive individuals, this "vasomotion" is thought to involve the activation of the vascular smooth muscle, with vasodilatation occurring through nitric oxide and vasoconstriction through the SNS and endothelin-1. A tonic upregulation of SNS activity and increased vasoconstrictor action of insulin may be a contributor to the development of hypertension, decreased peripheral blood flow, and endothelial dysfunction in the general population, especially in individuals with hyperinsulinemia and diabetes mellitus. In persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), a disproportionately high prevalence of insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus has been reported. We postulate that insulin resistance, in combination with the added consequence of SNS impairment below the neurological level of injury, contribute to hemodynamic dysregulation and a variety of medical complications, including pressure ulcer formation and decreased wound healing. Recently, our group demonstrated that the sub-lesional blood perfusion response to iontophoresis with insulin is blunted in euinsulinemic persons with motor-complete SCI compared to demographics-matched neurologically-intact control subjects.

To confirm and extend our preliminary finding and to provide additional insight into its implications, we propose to perform an open-label, non-randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group intervention, observational trial to determine the hemodynamic actions of insulin in individuals with complete motor lower extremity paralysis due to SCI and either systemic insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance. Subjects will participate in a screening visit to determine their eligibility and insulin sensitivity (i.e., categorized as being insulin-sensitive or insulin-resistant). Eligible individuals will return for participation in our study to determine skin blood flow by iontophoresis with vasoactive agents or application of heat to the extremities. Measurements will be performed simultaneously with provocation (i.e., with either heat or insulin or acetylcholine iontophoresis) being performed on the ipsilateral extremity and no provocative intervention (i.e., either no heat or placebo iontophoresis) in parallel and simultaneously on the contralateral extremity. On a separate visit, all subjects will repeat the iontophoresis with acetylcholine, which is the gold-standard to induce endothelium-dependent vasodilatation of the microvasculature.

After screening, subjects will participate in 2 study visits where the iontophoresis (i.e., placebo, insulin, and acetylcholine) and heat provocation will be performed one time on the upper and one time on the lower extremity. Each study visit will take no more than 4 hours. The expected enrollment time for a participant to complete the study should be no more than 3 weeks.

The respective outcomes from iontophoresis with insulin will be compared and correlated to systemic insulin sensitivity (as determined by an intravenous glucose tolerance test with insulin administration) (Primary Aim). The peak microvascular perfusion responses to vasodilatation by iontophoresis with acetylcholine to that with insulin will be compared (Secondary Aim). In participants with SCI, the findings from the neurologically intact upper extremity will be compared to those of the neurologically impaired lower extremity (Tertiary Aim). A group of neurologically-intact subjects who are matched for group assignment (i.e., insulin-sensitive or insulin resistant) will serve as age- and gender-matched controls to the participants with SCI.

Being tested
Insulin iontophoresis, Placebo Iontophoresis, Acetylcholine Iontophoresis, Heat application
Keywords
Insulin Sensitivity, Microvascular permeability, Sympathetic nervous system
Medical subject headings
Spinal Cord Injuries, Insulin Resistance

What participants receive

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

  • Insulin iontophoresisDrug

    For insulin iontophoresis, the cathode electrode will contain 0.2 ml of liquid insulin. For preparation and instrumentation, the arms will be uncovered below the elbow; the participant's lower extremities will be uncovered below knee for leg evaluations. The laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) lead will be placed bilaterally, 2 inches proximal to the lateral malleolus over the peroneus longus muscle. For arm evaluations, a lead will be placed (and secured with dual-sided transparent tape) bilaterally, 2 inches distal to the lateral epicondyle over the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle along the midline with the ulnar process. Baseline and peak cutaneous blood flow responses to application of insulin iontophoresis will be determined for each LDF lead during the evaluation.

  • Placebo IontophoresisDrug

    For placebo iontophoresis, the cathode electrode will contain 0.2 ml of preservative-free normal saline; the anode electrode will contain a medical grade adhesive for skin placement and last 20 minutes. Preparation, instrumentation and data collection for this intervention are the same as the insulin iontophoresis.

  • Acetylcholine IontophoresisDrug

    For acetylcholine iontophoresis, the anode electrode will contain 0.2 ml of 1% acetylcholine chloride; the cathode electrode will contain a medical grade adhesive for skin placement and last 20 minutes. Preparation, instrumentation and data collection for this intervention are the same as the insulin iontophoresis.

  • Heat applicationOther

    For the provocation with heat, an insulated thermal heat pack (~106°F) will be applied to the exposed arm or leg for 18 minutes. The thermal heat pack is comparable to what is routinely used as a heat therapy in conventional rehabilitation settings. LDF leads and temperature sensors will be placed in the previously specified locations to evaluate the changes.

Study groups in NCT02034331
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Acetylcholine IontophoresisActive comparatorFor acetylcholine iontophoresis, the anode electrode will contain 0.2 ml of 1% acetylcholine chloride; the cathode electrode will contain a medical grade adhesive for skin placement and last 20 minutes. Preparation, instrumentation and data collection for this intervention are the same as the insulin iontophoresis.
Receives: Drug: Acetylcholine Iontophoresis
Heat ApplicationActive comparatorFor the provocation with heat, an insulated thermal heat pack (~106°F) will be applied to the exposed arm or leg for 18 minutes. The thermal heat pack is comparable to what is routinely used as a heat therapy in conventional rehabilitation settings. LDF leads and temperature sensors will be placed in the previously specified locations to evaluate the changes.
Receives: Other: Heat application
Insulin IontophoresisExperimentalFor insulin iontophoresis, the cathode electrode will contain 0.2 ml of liquid insulin. For preparation and instrumentation, the arms will be uncovered below the elbow; the participant's lower extremities will be uncovered below knee for leg evaluations. The laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) lead will be placed bilaterally, 2 inches proximal to the lateral malleolus over the peroneus longus muscle. For arm evaluations, a lead will be placed (and secured with dual-sided transparent tape) bilaterally, 2 inches distal to the lateral epicondyle over the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle along the midline with the ulnar process. Baseline and peak cutaneous blood flow responses to application of insulin iontophoresis will be determined for each LDF lead during the evaluation.
Receives: Drug: Insulin iontophoresis
Placebo IontophoresisPlacebo comparatorFor placebo iontophoresis, the cathode electrode will contain 0.2 ml of preservative-free normal saline; the anode electrode will contain a medical grade adhesive for skin placement and last 20 minutes. Preparation, instrumentation and data collection for this intervention are the same as the insulin iontophoresis.
Receives: Drug: Placebo Iontophoresis

What is being measured

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

  1. Cutaneous microvascular responses to insulin iontophoresis

    Iontophoresis with insulin will be performed in the arm and leg of individuals with spinal cord injury and able-bodied control subjects. The respective responses of the cutaneous microvascular beds to iontophoresis with insulin will be determined with considerations for the effects of sympathetic nervous system dysfunction as a result of spinal cord injury and systemic insulin sensitivity (as measured by an intravenous glucose tolerance test).

    Measured: Single time point

Timeline

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

  1. First posted13 Jan 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startDec 2012
  3. Primary completionDec 2015
  4. Study completionDec 2016

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
Diagnosis
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
68 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02034331
Sponsor's protocol ID
LAF-12-018
Other IDs
Pending
Status last verified
Mar 2017
First submitted
8 Jan 2014
Last updated
7 Mar 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • La Fountaine MF, Rivera DR, Radulovic M, Bauman WA. The hemodynamic actions of insulin are blunted in the sublesional microvasculature of healthy persons with spinal cord injury. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2013 Feb;92(2):127-35. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e31827d63ee.

    PubMed 23328885

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Insulin iontophoresis, Acetylcholine Iontophoresis and Heat application in people with Spinal Cord Injury and Insulin Resistance, run by James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center 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 6 inclusion and 9 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 7 Mar 2017. 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?

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?

Cutaneous microvascular responses to insulin iontophoresis (time frame: Single time point). 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 NCT02034331, 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 7 Mar 2017.

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