Chronic Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis (NCT05038553)
CNS Pain Mechanisms in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis: Implications for the Acute to Chronic Pain Transition
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
The objective is to identify modifiable clinical factors and neurobiological pathways that lead to the development of chronic pain in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Participants will undergo quantitative sensory testing, a type of testing that involves assessing response to well-defined, quantifiable painful stimuli, at 0, 3, and 12 months. A subset of participants will also undergo magnetic resonance imaging at 0 and 12 months to assess neuroimaging markers that have previously been shown to be involved in chronic pain.
Who can join: To join this study, participants generally need to meet the listed inclusion criteria (8 items) and avoid the listed exclusions (14 items).
Location: University of Colorado — Denver, Colorado
Age range: 18 Years
🧪 Interventions in This Study
- No intervention (OTHER)
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistCheck every box below. If you can check all of them, you may meet the study's basic screening requirements (final eligibility is confirmed by the site team).
Usually NOT eligible if any of the following apply:
- Exclusion Criteria for QST:
- Routine, scheduled opioid use
- Routine, scheduled prednisone dose \>10 mg or its equivalent
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Raynaud's phenomenon requiring treatment, manifested by claudication or ischemic rest pain
- Uncontrolled blood pressure Additional Inclusion Criteria for neuroimaging:
- Age ≤ 80 years old
- Right-handed or ambidextrous
- Ability to lie on their back for the duration of the MRI scans Additional Exclusion Criteria for neuroimaging:
- Severe claustrophobia precluding MRI
- Unable to fit comfortably in the MRI scanner (usually only occurs if body mass index \>40 kg/m2)
🔍 Extracted verbatim from the official NIH eligibility criteria. Always confirm with the study coordinator.
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (5 Sites)
- University of Colorado — Denver, Colorado
- Northwestern University — Chicago, Illinois
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, Maryland
- University of Michigan — Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Hospital for Special Surgery — New York, New York
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.
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- A Clinical Study of Tulisokibart (MK-7240) to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) (MK-7240-014) — Glendale, Arizona
- R-2487 in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis — San Diego, California
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Explore by condition: All Arthritis, Rheumatoid clinical trials
💡 How to Participate
- Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
- Review the official NIH record below to find the coordinating site.
- Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
- Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.