Pain Reprocessing Therapy in Post-Operative Knee Pain (REJOICE)

University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver)

Status and phase: Not yet enrolling; Phase 2

Conditions: Knee Pain Chronic; Pain, Chronic

Treatments: Behavioral: Pain reprocessing therapy (PRT); Other: Usual care

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06800209

2023-1811

24-2140 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) can help adults with knee pain after knee replacement surgery. The study is comparing PRT to usual care (the regular treatment people get after surgery) to see which works better for relieving pain.

The main questions the study aims to answer are:

1. Does PRT help lower pain in people who have chronic knee pain after knee surgery?
2. How do the effects of PRT compare with usual care in terms of pain relief and other factors such as anxiety, depression, and sleep?
3. How does PRT impact the brain?

Participants will:

1. Be randomly assigned to receive either PRT or usual care.
2. Complete questionnaires about their pain and health.
3. If in the PRT group, have eight weekly therapy sessions over video calls with a therapist.
4. If interested, may also take part in an optional EEG test to measure brain activity related to pain.

Full description

Investigators recently developed a novel psychological treatment called Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT). Using a combination of cognitive, exposure-based, and somatic psychotherapy techniques, PRT aims to promote patients' reconceptualization of pain as due to reversible, non-dangerous brain activity rather than peripheral pathology. Critically, PRT aims to reduce or eliminate pain, rather than merely increase functioning.

In the first trial of PRT (N = 151), 66% of patients randomized to PRT were pain-free or nearly pain-free at post-treatment, compared to fewer than 20% of those in the placebo and usual care control groups. This trial was limited to chronic back pain and the efficacy and mechanisms of PRT for chronic post-operative knee pain are unknown. Additionally, how the effects of PRT will generalize to telehealth treatment is not known.

Developing scalable, effective, non-pharmacological chronic pain treatments and testing their efficacy in underserved populations is an urgent societal need. Accordingly, this study also tests a remotely delivered PRT intervention.

Aim 1 of this study is to test the comparative efficacy of PRT vs. usual care on pain intensity and other pain-related outcomes at post-treatment and longitudinal follow-up.

Aim 2 of this study is to test hypothesized psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of PRT with mediation analyses and longitudinal EEG neuroimaging.

Enrollment: 110 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients are deemed eligible at 3 months post-operatively if: The patient completed a primary knee replacement [surgery completed without complication and patient exhibits full mechanical joint function, as determined by the treating physician (good range of motion, stability, and wound healing; absence of swelling)] and patient reports last week average knee pain ≥ 4 of 10 on Numeric Rating Scale (NRS).
• Reported pre-operative chronic knee pain of at least 6 months duration prior to surgery
• The procedure was a primary (not a revision) knee replacement
• Proficient in English

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who are not willing to participate in a telehealth visit.

• Patients with pre-op chronic pain but who do not have post-operative pain after the three month time period.

• Major surgery for lower extremity or spine within 1 year of the current primary TKA.

• Active suicidal ideation with intent, recent history of suicide attempt, or self-harm behaviors within the past 5 years (including non-suicidal self-harm).

• Recent history of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization within the past 5 years.

• Active, current psychosis or mania.

• Active, current substance abuse, or problems with substance abuse within the past 2 years.

• Instability in living conditions or major interfering life events:

  • Major surgery or other major medical event planned in coming 6 months.
  • Uncertain whether they will have suitable conditions for telehealth appointments over the next 2 months, including access to a computer or tablet, reliable high-speed internet, and a quiet, comfortable room that is consistently available.
  • Major, interfering changes in employment or housing anticipated over the next 6 months.

• Neurological conditions (e.g., Alzheimer's, dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy). This will be case-by-case decision made by PI to determine if the condition may interfere with treatment and warrant exclusion.

• Self-reported diagnosis of an autoimmune disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, scleroderma, lupus, polymyositis, or another autoimmune disorder).

• Currently or plan to be involved in lawsuits related to pain in next 6 months, currently or plan to apply for any disability payments related to the pain in next 6 months, or received legal settlement or other disability payments related to the pain over past 2 years.

EEG Exclusion Criteria (patients can still be enrolled as long as they meet all other eligibility criteria; however, they will not undergo EEG testing):

• Are unable or uncomfortable with completing a dry cap EEG.
• Has had a history of abnormal EEGs.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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110 participants in 2 patient groups

Pain reprocessing therapy (PRT)

Experimental group

Description:

PRT has five components: 1) education about the origin of pain in the brain, its reversibility, and the pain-fear cycle; 2) reinforcing education using personal biography; 3) "somatic tracking" of pain through mindfulness and reappraisal of pain sensations as non-dangerous; 4) lowering the level of personal threat that may trigger pain sensation; and 5) inducing positive affect in periods of pain. Patients will attend eight 50-minute, therapist-led sessions. Pacing will be weekly, for approximately eight weeks.Treatment will be provided by experienced PRT clinicians. All PRT sessions will be remotely delivered.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Pain reprocessing therapy (PRT)

Usual Care

Other group

Description:

Participants will be asked to continue whatever they are already doing to care for their knee pain. Length of the usual care condition will be eight weeks, the expected completion time of the PRT arm.

Treatment:

Other: Usual care