Rheumatoid ArthritisNCT04839081
Neuropathic Hand Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis
An observational study of Rheumatoid Arthritis, run by Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Investigators have aimed to estimate prevalence of neuropathic hand pain in RA patients and it's relation with sleep quality and sensory thresholds. For this purpose a case-control study design was planned. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 70 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- What is being tested?
- questionnaires and inventories
- How many people
- 300 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 26 Apr 2021to 15 Sep 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 to 70 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: RA patients having hand pain with severity of 3 or more on 100 mm VAS and age- and sex-matched control subjects will be chosen among individuals submitting to our out-patient clinic with nociceptive/mechanical pain complaint lasting more than three months
Who may be able to join
- Being diagnosed with RA according to the 1987 ACR Criteria
- Visual Analogue Scale hand pain score ≥ 3
Who cannot join
- Diabetes mellitus, renal insufficiency, hypothyroidism
- Carpal tunnel syndrome, postherpetic neuralgia, cervical spinal cord compression
- Cervical radiculopathy
- Fibromyalgia
- Malignancy
- Hand muscle weakness of even one grade on Medical Research Council Manual Muscle Testing scale
Show all 10Show fewer
- Upper motor neuron sign on physical examination of hands
- Pregnancy
- In the last three months medical treatment leading to neuropathy (colchicine etc.)
- In the last three months drug use for the treatment of fibromyalgia, depression or anxiety
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Izmir Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital
Izmir
About this study
Official title: Neuropathic Characteristics of Rheumatoid Hand Pain and it's Relation to Sensory Thresholds and Sleep Quality: a Case-control Study
Investigators have aimed to estimate prevalence of neuropathic hand pain in RA patients and it's relation with sleep quality and sensory thresholds. For this purpose a case-control study design was planned. Age- and sex-matched control subjects will be chosen among individuals submitted to out-patient clinic with the complaint of nociceptive/mechanical pain other than in hand, lasting more than three months
Read the detailed description
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory rheumatic disease that predominantly affecting peripheral joints. Patients with RA are suffered from severe hand pain and functional loss because of synovitis in hand joints. The fact that patients with low disease activity may complain from hand pain suggests that pain is mediated by mechanisms other than inflammation. Contribution of central sensitization to pain sensation of RA patients is of interest currently. Several authors reported the neuropathic characteristics of hand pain in RA. Hand pain is primarily nociceptive in RA patients but the possibility of variances in cutaneous sensitivity due to nociceptive input from joints has been suggested. Increased sensitivity with light touch has been demonstrated over hands of RA patients. In RA patients, alterations in central processing of somatosensory function and allodynia over inflamed joints have been reported. Poor sleep quality is another issue for RA patients and it's association with pain was reported. However impact of neuropathic hand pain on sleep quality was not understood exactly probably due to the scarce of the studies investigating this association. Also, to the best of investigators' knowledge, the relation between neuropathic component of pain and sensory threshold alterations in rheumatoid hand was not studied to date.
So, investigators have aimed to estimate prevalence of neuropathic hand pain in RA patients and it's relation with sleep quality and sensory thresholds. For this purpose a case-control study design was planned. Age- and sex-matched control subjects will be chosen among individuals submitted to out-patient clinic with nociceptive/mechanical pain complaint other than in hand lasting more than three months. Also whether sensory thresholds in rheumatoid hands differ from healthy hands will be assessed. Participants in control group will be subjected to same exclusion criteria too.
This design will allow the investigators to determine whether hand pain in RA patients displays neuropathic character more frequently than any other chronic nociceptive pain does. Moreover, it will be possible to compare sensory thresholds between healthy and rheumatoid hand. RA patients diagnosed according to the 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria will be recruited. Demographics and disease related variables will be recorded.
- Conditions
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Being tested
- questionnaires and inventories
- Medical subject headings
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
questionnaires and inventoriesOther
Also called physical examination
questionnaires and inventories related to primary end secondary outcomes will be applied and physical examination will be performed.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| RA patients | RA patients diagnosed according to the 1987 ACR Criteria Receives: Other: questionnaires and inventories | |
| Control | Age- and sex-matched control subjects with nociceptive/mechanical pain complaint other than in hand, lasting more than three months Receives: Other: questionnaires and inventories |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Neuropathic pain
It will be assessed using the painDETECT questionnaire. This questionnaire, contains nine questions all of which are selfreport. Seven items are rated on a six point Likert scale and thus are scored between 0-5. These seven questions query some sensations such as burning, tingling or prickling, allodynia, numbness etc. Apart from these seven items, one item assesses the radiation of pain and the other one item looks for the temporal characteristics of pain. A total score of 12 or less indicates neuropathic component is unlikely, 13-18 means possible neuropathic component and19 or greater means a neuropathic component is likely. Beside these, there are three items in a separate section measuring severity of pain at the time of evaluation, on average and maximum over the past month. This section is not taken into account in scoring
Measured: Once, at baseline
Sleep quality
It will be assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). It was developed by Buysse and coworkers in 1989.
This index measures sleep quality quantitatively and covers 24 questions. Nineteen questions are self-rated and scoring is based on these self-rated questions, other five questions that rating by partner are not taken into account while calculating total score. Questionnaire measures seven domains; subjective sleep quality (question 6), sleep latency (question 2 and 5a), sleep duration (question 4), habitual sleep efficiency (question 1,3,4), sleep disturbances (question 5b-j), use of sleep medication (question 7), and daytime dysfunction (question 8 and 9) over the last month.
Seven domain scores give a result on a 0 to 3 scale. To yield a total score the domain scores are summed. Total score varies between 0 and 21. Higher scores indicate worse sleep quality.
Measured: Once, at baseline
Secondary outcomes (2)
Light touch-pressure threshold
It will be assessed using Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test composing of five filaments ranging in thickness from 2.83 to 6.65 mm and applying force ranging from 0.07 g to 300 g. The procedure is started by getting the thinnest filament in contact to relevant skin region. If it is not felt after three trials with same filament, examiner proceeds with the next more larger filament until touch felt by the patient.
Measured: Once, at baseline
Depression
It will be assessed using Beck Depression Inventory. It is is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory quantifies the symptoms of depression. Each question is rated between 0 and 3 to reflect the intensity of statements. All points are summed arithmetically to obtain a total score which ranges between 0 and 63. Higher scores indicate more intense depressive symptoms.
Measured: Once, at baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Apr 2021
- Study start26 Apr 2021
- Primary completion15 May 2025
- Study completion15 Sep 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (4)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Rheumatoid ArthritisStudies 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 300 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Taciser Kaya, Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital
- Investigators
- Taciser Kaya, Assoc. prof, Principal investigator, Izmir Bozyaka Training and Reseach Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04839081
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 45986TK
- Status last verified
- Nov 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Apr 2021
- Last updated
- 4 Nov 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Koop SM, ten Klooster PM, Vonkeman HE, Steunebrink LM, van de Laar MA. Neuropathic-like pain features and cross-sectional associations in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2015 Sep 3;17(1):237. doi: 10.1186/s13075-015-0761-8.
PubMed 26335941Joharatnam N, McWilliams DF, Wilson D, Wheeler M, Pande I, Walsh DA. A cross-sectional study of pain sensitivity, disease-activity assessment, mental health, and fibromyalgia status in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2015 Jan 20;17(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s13075-015-0525-5.
PubMed 25600850Loppenthin K, Esbensen BA, Jennum P, Ostergaard M, Tolver A, Thomsen T, Midtgaard J. Sleep quality and correlates of poor sleep in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol. 2015 Dec;34(12):2029-39. doi: 10.1007/s10067-015-2875-4. Epub 2015 Jan 27.
PubMed 25620673Ulus Y, Akyol Y, Tander B, Durmus D, Bilgici A, Kuru O. Sleep quality in fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis: associations with pain, fatigue, depression, and disease activity. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2011 Nov-Dec;29(6 Suppl 69):S92-6. Epub 2012 Jan 3.
PubMed 22243555
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Neuropathic Characteristics of Rheumatoid Hand Pain and it's Relation to Sensory Thresholds and Sleep Quality: a Case-control Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04839081
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 45986TK
- Conditions
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 300 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Bozyaka Training and Research HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 26 Apr 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 May 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Sep 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 9 Apr 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.
Investigators have aimed to estimate prevalence of neuropathic hand pain in RA patients and it's relation with sleep quality and sensory thresholds. For this purpose a case-control study design was planned. Age- and sex-matched control subjects will be chosen among individuals submitted to out-patient clinic with the complaint of nociceptive/mechanical pain other than in hand, lasting more than three months
Detailed description
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory rheumatic disease that predominantly affecting peripheral joints. Patients with RA are suffered from severe hand pain and functional loss because of synovitis in hand joints. The fact that patients with low disease activity may complain from hand pain suggests that pain is mediated by mechanisms other than inflammation. Contribution of central sensitization to pain sensation of RA patients is of interest currently. Several authors reported the neuropathic characteristics of hand pain in RA. Hand pain is primarily nociceptive in RA patients but the possibility of variances in cutaneous sensitivity due to nociceptive input from joints has been suggested. Increased sensitivity with light touch has been demonstrated over hands of RA patients. In RA patients, alterations in central processing of somatosensory function and allodynia over inflamed joints have been reported. Poor sleep quality is another issue for RA patients and it's association with pain was reported. However impact of neuropathic hand pain on sleep quality was not understood exactly probably due to the scarce of the studies investigating this association. Also, to the best of investigators' knowledge, the relation between neuropathic component of pain and sensory threshold alterations in rheumatoid hand was not studied to date.
So, investigators have aimed to estimate prevalence of neuropathic hand pain in RA patients and it's relation with sleep quality and sensory thresholds. For this purpose a case-control study design was planned. Age- and sex-matched control subjects will be chosen among individuals submitted to out-patient clinic with nociceptive/mechanical pain complaint other than in hand lasting more than three months. Also whether sensory thresholds in rheumatoid hands differ from healthy hands will be assessed. Participants in control group will be subjected to same exclusion criteria too.
This design will allow the investigators to determine whether hand pain in RA patients displays neuropathic character more frequently than any other chronic nociceptive pain does. Moreover, it will be possible to compare sensory thresholds between healthy and rheumatoid hand. RA patients diagnosed according to the 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria will be recruited. Demographics and disease related variables will be recorded.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| RA patients | – | Other: questionnaires and inventoriesRA patients diagnosed according to the 1987 ACR Criteria |
| Control | – | Other: questionnaires and inventoriesAge- and sex-matched control subjects with nociceptive/mechanical pain complaint other than in hand, lasting more than three months |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- RA patients having hand pain with severity of 3 or more on 100 mm VAS and age- and sex-matched control subjects will be chosen among individuals submitting to our out-patient clinic with nociceptive/mechanical pain complaint lasting more than three months
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Being diagnosed with RA according to the 1987 ACR Criteria
- Visual Analogue Scale hand pain score ≥ 3
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Diabetes mellitus, renal insufficiency, hypothyroidism
- Carpal tunnel syndrome, postherpetic neuralgia, cervical spinal cord compression
- Cervical radiculopathy
- Fibromyalgia
- Malignancy
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 |
|---|---|---|
| questionnaires and inventoriesAlso: physical examinationquestionnaires and inventories related to primary end secondary outcomes will be applied and physical examination will be performed. | Other | Control, RA patients |
Primary outcome
Neuropathic pain
Time frame: Once, at baseline
It will be assessed using the painDETECT questionnaire. This questionnaire, contains nine questions all of which are selfreport. Seven items are rated on a six point Likert scale and thus are scored between 0-5. These seven questions query some sensations such as burning, tingling or prickling, allodynia, numbness etc. Apart from these seven items, one item assesses the radiation of pain and the other one item looks for the temporal characteristics of pain. A total score of 12 or less indicates neuropathic component is unlikely, 13-18 means possible neuropathic component and19 or greater means a neuropathic component is likely. Beside these, there are three items in a separate section measuring severity of pain at the time of evaluation, on average and maximum over the past month. This section is not taken into account in scoring
Sleep quality
Time frame: Once, at baseline
It will be assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). It was developed by Buysse and coworkers in 1989. This index measures sleep quality quantitatively and covers 24 questions. Nineteen questions are self-rated and scoring is based on these self-rated questions, other five questions that rating by partner are not taken into account while calculating total score. Questionnaire measures seven domains; subjective sleep quality (question 6), sleep latency (question 2 and 5a), sleep duration (question 4), habitual sleep efficiency (question 1,3,4), sleep disturbances (question 5b-j), use of sleep medication (question 7), and daytime dysfunction (question 8 and 9) over the last month. Seven domain scores give a result on a 0 to 3 scale. To yield a total score the domain scores are summed. Total score varies between 0 and 21. Higher scores indicate worse sleep quality.
2 secondary outcomes
Light touch-pressure threshold
Time frame: Once, at baseline
Depression
Time frame: Once, at baseline
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Nov 2026.
- Background: PubMed 26335941Koop SM, ten Klooster PM, Vonkeman HE, Steunebrink LM, van de Laar MA. Neuropathic-like pain features and cross-sectional associations in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2015 Sep 3;17(1):237. doi: 10.1186/s13075-015-0761-8.
- Background: PubMed 25600850Joharatnam N, McWilliams DF, Wilson D, Wheeler M, Pande I, Walsh DA. A cross-sectional study of pain sensitivity, disease-activity assessment, mental health, and fibromyalgia status in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2015 Jan 20;17(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s13075-015-0525-5.
- Background: PubMed 25620673Loppenthin K, Esbensen BA, Jennum P, Ostergaard M, Tolver A, Thomsen T, Midtgaard J. Sleep quality and correlates of poor sleep in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol. 2015 Dec;34(12):2029-39. doi: 10.1007/s10067-015-2875-4. Epub 2015 Jan 27.
- Background: PubMed 22243555Ulus Y, Akyol Y, Tander B, Durmus D, Bilgici A, Kuru O. Sleep quality in fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis: associations with pain, fatigue, depression, and disease activity. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2011 Nov-Dec;29(6 Suppl 69):S92-6. Epub 2012 Jan 3.
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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.
Taciser Kaya, Assoc. prof principal investigator
Izmir Bozyaka Training and Reseach Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Rheumatoid Arthritis, run by Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
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 2 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Nov 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 Turkey (Türkiye). 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?
Neuropathic pain (time frame: Once, at baseline). 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 NCT04839081, which also lists 4 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 4 Nov 2026.