Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29178917›Full record

Trial reportTrials2017

The influence of surface EMG-triggered multichannel electrical stimulation on sensomotoric recovery in patients with lumbar disc herniation: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (RECO).

Sara Lener, Christoph Wipplinger, Sebastian Hartmann, Wolfgang N Löscher, Sabrina Neururer, Matthias Wildauer, Claudius Thomé, Anja Tschugg

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Trials, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 84% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Sara LenerDepartment of Neurosurgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. sara.lener@i-med.ac.at.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5644-2399
Christoph WipplingerDepartment of Neurosurgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Sebastian HartmannDepartment of Neurosurgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Wolfgang N LöscherDepartment of Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
Sabrina NeururerDepartment of Medical Statistics and Health Economics, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
Matthias WildauerDepartment of Neuroradiology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
Claudius ThoméDepartment of Neurosurgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Anja TschuggDepartment of Neurosurgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Innsbruck Medical University · AT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIntervertebral disc degeneration is one of the most common reasons for chronic low back pain and sensomotoric deficits, often treated by lumbar sequestrectomy. Nevertheless, the prognostic factors relevant for time and quality of recovery, of the surgical procedure, relative to conservative treatment, remain controversial and require further investigation. Surface electrical stimulation (SES) may be an influential intervention, already showing positive impact on motor and sensory recovery in different patient groups. Since mechanisms of SES still remain unclear, further inquiry is needed. METHODS/

designThis is a prospective, monocentric, randomized, controlled clinical trial. A total of 80 adult patients suffering from a lumbar disc herniation (LDH; 40 treated surgically, 40 conservatively) are allocated in a ratio of 1:1. Patients in the treatment group will receive surface electromyography (EMG)-triggered electrical stimulation for eight weeks, whereas patients in the control group will not obtain any additional treatment. The primary outcome parameter is defined as the cold detection threshold (CDT), determined by quantitative sensory testing (QST), 24 months after intervention. Secondary outcome parameters include the inquiry of sensory nerve function by two-point discrimination and QST, the assessment of motor nerve function by manual muscle testing, and validated scales and scores. These include: the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Core Outcome Measures Index (COMI) assessing the domains pain, back-specific function, work disability, and patient satisfaction; the EQ-5D investigating the patient's generic health status; the painDETECT questionnaire (PD-Q) to identify neuropathic pain components; and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to assess severity of depression. Moreover, neurological status, pain medication usage, and blood samples (CRP, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6) will be evaluated. Study data generation (study site) and data storage, processing, and statistical analysis are clearly separated. DISCUSSION: The results of the RECO study will detect the effect of EMG-triggered multichannel SES on the improvement of mechanical and thermal sensitivity and the effect on motor recovery and pain, associated with clinical and laboratory parameters. Furthermore, data comparing surgical and conservative treatment can be collected. This will hopefully allow treatment recommendations for patients with LDH accompanied by a sensomotoric deficit.

trial registrationISRCTN, ISRCTN12741173 . Registered on 15 January 2017.

Indexed as

Cold TemperatureMotor ActivitySensory ThresholdsAustriaClinical ProtocolsDisability EvaluationElectric Stimulation TherapyElectromyographyHealth StatusHumansIntervertebral DiscIntervertebral Disc DegenerationIntervertebral Disc DisplacementLumbar VertebraeNeurologic ExaminationPain MeasurementElectrical stimulationLumbar disc herniationLumbar sequesterectomyQuantitative sensory testingSensomotoric deficitSensomotoric recovery

Identifiers

PMID29178917
PMCPMC5702066
OpenAlexW2769097764

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.