Trial results for a study investigating COPD, chronic pain, and physical activity were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-08-15, involving 9 participants.
Background
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease characterized by airflow limitation, often accompanied by significant symptoms like dyspnea. Patients with COPD frequently experience co-occurring conditions such as chronic musculoskeletal pain, which can further limit physical activity and overall functional status. The interplay between these symptoms and their central mechanisms, particularly in the brain, is an area of ongoing research. Understanding these mechanisms through advanced neuroimaging techniques could inform the development of non-pharmacological strategies to manage pain, dyspnea, and promote physical activity in this patient population.
Trial design
This completed study enrolled 9 participants to investigate conditions including COPD and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain. The trial aimed to use advanced neuroimaging to understand central mechanisms of chronic pain, dyspnea, and physical activity promotion in COPD, and to examine changes in response to a non-pharmacological physical activity intervention.
Key results
The trial reported several key measurements for veterans with COPD:
- Cortical Thickness: A mean of 2.2 mm (Standard Deviation 0.06) was observed.
- Exercise Capacity: A mean of 1410 feet (Standard Deviation 80) was observed.
- Physical Activity: A mean of 4835 steps per day (Standard Deviation 3226) was observed.
- Pain Intensity: A mean of 4 units on a scale (Standard Deviation 1.41) was observed.
- Dyspnea: A mean of 1.83 units on a scale (Standard Deviation 1.47) was observed.
What this means
The posted results provide specific measurements for cortical thickness, exercise capacity, physical activity, pain intensity, and dyspnea in a cohort of veterans with COPD. Given the small enrollment of 9 participants and the absence of comparative analyses or statistical significance, these data represent initial observations. They contribute to a baseline understanding of these parameters within the study population, which can be valuable for informing the design of larger future studies focused on the central mechanisms of pain, dyspnea, and physical activity in COPD.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT04291131, titled "BRAIN, Symptoms, and Physical Activity in COPD", were posted on 2025-08-15 on clinicaltrials.gov.