Improving pain treatment for infants and young children
Official title: Clinical Outcome Assessments for Acute Pain Therapeutics in Infants and young Children (COA APTIC)
Funded at Duke University · NIH-10783106 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is all about finding better ways to understand and measure pain in babies and young kids so that doctors can create safer and more effective pain relief options for them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | February 6, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $1,510,088 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3FD006797-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10783106 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are infants and young children, particularly those aged 0-2 years, who are experiencing acute pain.
✕Less likely to help
Patients outside the age range of 0-2 years or those not experiencing acute pain may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing better ways to measure and assess pain in infants and young children, which is crucial for creating effective pain medications for this age group. The team will work with existing networks and expertise to identify what outcomes are most important to patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. They will evaluate current methods of measuring pain and determine if new methods are needed. The goal is to ensure that any new pain treatments are based on reliable and relevant measures of pain relief.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective pain management therapies specifically designed for infants and young children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in developing standardized measures for pediatric populations, indicating a promising approach for this study.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zimmerman, Kanecia Obie — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Zimmerman, Kanecia Obie
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-
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This study is looking at how a natural substance in the body called 2-AG helps manage pain, especially for people recovering from major surgeries, with the goal of finding safer pain relief options that don’t involve addictive opioids.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.