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NCT Number: NCT05057754

Sonographic Measurement of Intraneural Blood Flow in the Median Nerve

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve compression disease and the most expensive upper-extremity work-related musculoskeletal disorder, affecting approximately 10 million people in the US. To understand the clear etiology and mechanism of carpal tunnel syndrome, the measurement of median nerve intraneural blood flow needs to be further scrutinized as the common fluctuating physiological conditions and functional hand activities might contribute to the fluctuation of the measurement and serve as measurement error. This study aims to examine how intraneural blood flow within the median nerve is affected by physiological factors (i.e., body temperature and blood pressure) and functional hand activities (i.e., typing, using a mouse, and cooking).

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Key information

Conditions

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cumulative Trauma Disorders Median Nerve Injury Median Neuropathy Mononeuropathies Nerve Compression Syndromes Nervous System Diseases Neuromuscular Diseases Peripheral Nervous System Diseases Sprains and Strains Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

USC; Musculoskeletal Sonography & Occupational Performance Laboratory, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged 18 to 65
  • English-speaking
  • Ability to endure a moderate-intensity physical activity
  • Ability to type without looking at the keyboard

Exclusion criteria

  • Pain, tingling, or numbness in the hand or wrist region within the past week
  • History of corticoid injection in the upper extremity
  • History of surgery in the wrist region
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Diabetes
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Pregnant
  • Positive Phalen's test
  • Persistent median artery within wrist region
  • Bifid median nerve

Treatment and study plan

Cooling

Behavioral

Participants' dominant hand and wrist will be immersed in cool water (20°C) for five minutes. The cool water will be kept to around 20°C (19 - 21°C) by frequently checking the temperature and corrected when it rises to 20.5°C

Heating

Behavioral

A heat pack wrapped in a towel will be applied to participants' dominant hand for five minutes.

Exercising

Behavioral

Participants will be asked to participate in moderate-intensity physical activities to induce an increase in blood pressure. The physical activity will be two sets of 30 jumping jacks, followed by 15 squats. Participants are allowed to rest for 20 seconds between the two sets.

Typing

Behavioral

All participants will be asked to perform a typing task with a standard wired keyboard. All subjects will be asked to type for five minutes.

Using a mouse

Behavioral

Participants will be asked to draw as many lower-case alphabet characters from "a" to "z" as possible using a standardized scroll mouse for five minutes in the Windows Microsoft Paint software.

Cooking

Behavioral

Participants will be asked to participate in a cooking trial following a prespecified cooking recipe of Rice Krispy Treat. he participant will be asked to follow the procedures as follows: (1) cut and put wax paper in the pan; (2) cut butter into 4 pieces; (3) place butter in a pot over a portable stove and stir until the butter is completely melted; (4) add four oz of marshmallows and stir until melted; (5) add cereal and the rest of marshmallows and stir until all ingredients are combined (6) transfer the ingredients to the pan and use a silicone spatula to pat the ingredients evenly into pan.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in intraneural blood flow after intervention

    Time frame: Immediately prior to and after each intervention

    Doppler ultrasound images will be repeatedly collected to obtain the primary outcome measure for this study, intraneural blood flow. After identifying the course of the median nerve in the longitudinal plane (I.e., the sagittal plane), intraneural blood flow at the level of carpal tunnel measured as the peak systolic velocity of the identified blood flow signal will be observed and collected.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Southern California

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Enhancing Sonographic Measurement of Intraneural Blood Flow in the Median Nerve

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Sep 27, 2021
Registry last updated
Sep 28, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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