U01NS124613

Pterygopalatine Fossa (PPF) Block as an Opioid Sparing Treatment for Acute Headache in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Severe headache is ubiquitous in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), present in 90% of patients after ictus bleed. Despite steady consumption of analgesics, the degree of pain control in SAH patients is remarkably poor. In spite of this high prevalence, a dearth of data guides optimal management of post-SAH headache. Opioids are the most prescribed pain medication for severe post-SAH headache. However, opioid-based analgesia presents considerable risks: depressed level of consciousness and respiratory drive, hypotension, slow gastrointestinal transit, and high frequency of tolerance and addiction.

Furthermore, it is urgent and critical to identify novel strategies to alleviate the excruciating and nearly universal headache post-SAH, while mitigating consequences of opioid use. This unmet therapeutic need reflects a key knowledge gap in a condition afflicting nearly 30,000 individuals each year in the US.

We present an inexpensive, opioid-sparing strategy for post-SAH headache, using a nerve-block into the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) to improve pain control and lessen opioid needs. A growing body of literature on the use of nerve-blocks in acute and chronic headache disorders supports our overarching hypothesis that PPF-block provides rapid, opioid-sparing analgesia, is safe and well-tolerated, and holds promise to adequately treat post-SAH headache.

The pathophysiology of these headaches is complex and involves meningeal irritation from blood products, release of inflammatory cytokines, vasomotor instability, and central pain sensitization. Through selective modulation, PPF-blocks address pain mechanisms at their origin, targeting the maxillary nerve and sphenopalatine ganglion, including their branches.

We propose a multicenter phase II, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study with sequential parallel comparison design of bilateral PPF-injections over 4 days at 12 centers. Following aneurysm treatment, 195 adults hospitalized with aneurysmal SAH, who are experiencing severe headaches and can verbalize pain scores, will be randomized to once daily active (ropivacaine + dexamethasone) or sham (saline) or PPF-injections during the first 2 consecutive days of the intervention period (Day 1/Stage 1, Day 2/Stage 2). The open-label phase spans the subsequent 2 days (Days 3-4), during which subjects may opt to receive an active PPF-block. This two-stage design leverages increased efficiency in data generation from the pooled sequential blinded stages (i.e., Stages 1 & 2) and reduced impact of sham responses, and thus, allows for smaller sample size without compromising statistical power.

Our primary objective is to demonstrate the opioid-sparing analgesic effect of PPF-blocks vs sham. Our secondary objective is to assess the tolerability of PPF-injections as measured by rates of acceptance of second injection on Day 2, and their safety as measured by vasospasm rates at the end of the open-label period in patients with SAH. We will also explore the potential interplay of sex and racial disparities in pain experiences and both PPF-block tolerability and efficacy.

This initiative merges our expertise in neurosurgery, neurocritical care, and acute pain-anesthesiology to tackle a historically neglected aspect of the critical care management of SAH.

University Of Florida

(1) TO SUPPORT EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE (NINDS) INCLUDING: BASIC RESEARCH THAT EXPLORES THE FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE BRAIN AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE CAUSES AND ORIGINS OF PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH THE GOAL OF PREVENTING THESE DISORDERS, RESEARCH ON THE NATURAL COURSE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, IMPROVED METHODS OF DISEASE PREVENTION, NEW METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT, DRUG DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT OF NEURAL DEVICES, CLINICAL TRIALS, AND RESEARCH TRAINING IN BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE. THE INSTITUTE IS THE LARGEST FUNDER OF BASIC NEUROSCIENCE IN THE US AND SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON TOPICS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: DEVELOPMENT OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, INCLUDING NEUROGENESIS AND PROGENITOR CELL BIOLOGY, SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION IN DEVELOPMENT AND PLASTICITY, AND PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH, SYNAPSE FORMATION, FUNCTION, AND PLASTICITY, LEARNING AND MEMORY, CHANNELS, TRANSPORTERS, AND PUMPS, CIRCUIT FORMATION AND MODULATION, BEHAVIORAL AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE, SENSORIMOTOR LEARNING, INTEGRATION AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, NEUROENDOCRINE SYSTEMS, SLEEP AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS, AND SENSORY AND MOTOR SYSTEMS. IN ADDITION, THE INSTITUTE SUPPORTS BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES ON A NUMBER OF DISORDERS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO): STROKE, TRAUMATIC INJURY TO THE BRAIN, SPINAL CORD AND PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS, MOVEMENT DISORDERS, BRAIN TUMORS, CONVULSIVE DISORDERS, INFECTIOUS DISORDERS OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM, IMMUNE DISORDERS OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM, INCLUDING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, DISORDERS RELATED TO SLEEP, AND PAIN. PROGRAMMATIC AREAS, WHICH ARE PRIMARILY SUPPORTED BY THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE, ARE ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE DIVISION OF EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES, THE DIVISION OF TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH, THE DIVISION OF CLINICAL RESEARCH, THE OFFICE OF TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THE OFFICE OF PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE NEUROSCIENCE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES. (2) TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. TO UTILIZE THE SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM, TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.853 - Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NNDS) [HHS - NIH]

Florida United States

State-Wide

NINDS Exploratory Clinical Trials (U01 - Clinical Trial Required) (PAR-21-236)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 02/28/27 to 02/28/28 and the total obligations have increased from $7,028,982 to $7,048,922.