Neuroinflammation in carpal tunnel pain
Official title: The role of neuroinflammation in human peripheral neuropathic pain
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11286773 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses PET/MR scans with a special tracer to look for inflammation in the brain and spinal cord of adults with carpal tunnel syndrome compared with healthy volunteers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $656,946 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR079110-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11286773 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) with diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome, especially those able and willing to undergo PET/MR scanning and carpal tunnel release surgery, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without carpal tunnel syndrome, those unable to have PET/MR (for example due to implanted devices or pregnancy), or those not planning surgery are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
If I join, I'll have a clinical exam and combined PET/MR brain and neck scan using the tracer [11C]PBR28 to look for signs of glial-driven inflammation. The team will scan about 80 people with carpal tunnel syndrome and 20 healthy volunteers, and patients will be scanned again after carpal tunnel release surgery. They will also collect nerve conduction tests, pain and function measures, and hand motor tests to link imaging findings with symptoms and nerve damage. The goal is to see where inflammation appears and whether it changes after surgery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could show that specific inflammatory changes relate to neuropathic pain and help guide new anti-inflammatory treatments or predict who benefits from surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Prior PET studies using the same tracer have detected glial activation in chronic pain and neurodegenerative disorders, but using these signals to change patient care is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Loggia, Marco Luciano — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Loggia, Marco Luciano
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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.