A randomized trial of pregabalin in patients with neuropathic pain due to spinal cord injury

Neurology, 2013 · DOI: · Published: February 5, 2013

Spinal Cord Injury Neurology Pain Management

Simple Explanation

This study aimed to see if pregabalin could help people with nerve pain after a spinal cord injury. Patients were given either pregabalin or a placebo for 17 weeks. The study found that pregabalin significantly improved pain compared to the placebo. This improvement was noticed as early as the first week and lasted throughout the study. The side effects of pregabalin were similar to what was already known, with most being mild to moderate. The most common side effects were sleepiness and dizziness.

Study Duration

17 weeks

Participants

220 patients with chronic, below-level, neuropathic pain due to SCI

Evidence Level

Class I evidence

Key Findings

1
Pregabalin treatment resulted in statistically significant improvements over placebo for all primary and key secondary outcome measures.
2
Significant pain improvement was evident as early as week 1 and was sustained throughout the treatment period.
3
Treatment-related AEs, most frequently somnolence, dizziness, edema, dry mouth, fatigue, and blurred vision, occurred more frequently with pregabalin than with placebo.

Research Summary

This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of pregabalin for treating neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI). Patients with chronic pain below the injury level were given either pregabalin (150-600 mg/day) or a placebo for 17 weeks. The study found that pregabalin significantly improved pain compared to the placebo, with noticeable improvements starting in the first week and lasting throughout the study. The adverse events were consistent with the known safety profile of pregabalin. The authors conclude that pregabalin is effective and well-tolerated for neuropathic pain due to SCI, making it an attractive therapeutic option given the limitations of current treatments.

Practical Implications

Effective Pain Management

Pregabalin can be considered as an effective option for managing neuropathic pain resulting from SCI.

Improved Sleep Quality

Pregabalin helps reduce pain-related sleep interference, leading to better sleep quality for SCI patients.

Customized Treatment

Treatment with pregabalin should start at low doses, and the dose should be increased based on how well it works and how well the patient can handle it.

Study Limitations

1
Exclusion criteria limit the ability to generalize our findings to central neuropathic pain of etiologies other than SCI.
2
the results of this 17-week trial might not extrapolate to longer periods of treatment
3
patient and/or clinician assumptions concerning treatment assignment could potentially bias their assessment of treatment effect

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