Evaluating the Role of Neuroinflammation in Low Back Pain

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2022-09-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

In this research, the study team will use brain imaging to evaluate the presence of neuroinflammation in the brains and spinal cords of patients with low back pain. The efficacy of minocycline use for low back pain treatment will also be evaluated by observing whether short-term minocycline administration will reduce neuroinflammation and low back pain symptoms.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Marco Loggia
• Collaborator: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
• Treatments: Minocycline

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• the ability to give written informed consent

• fluency in English

• on a stable pain treatment

• Chronic or sub-acute low back pain

Exclusion Criteria:

• no interventional pain procedures during drug trial

• contraindications to MRI and PET scanning (including presence of a cardiac pacemaker or pacemaker wires, metallic particles in the body, vascular clips in the head or previous neurosurgery, prosthetic heart valves, claustrophobia)

• pregnancy or breast feeding

• any use of recreational drugs in the past 6 months

• allergy to minocycline or other tetracyclines, or taking medications known to interact with minocycline

• any other contraindications to minocycline administration