Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System in Rosacea

Purpose

Rosacea is a common skin disorder which causes facial redness and inflammation in about 16 million Americans, from an unknown cause. Many triggers of rosacea symptoms are stressors that affect the sympathetic ("fight or flight") portion of the nervous system, and a recent pilot study suggests there is sympathetic dysfunction in rosacea. This project will benefit patients, clinicians, and basic scientists by increasing our understanding of sympathetic nervous system involvement in rosacea symptoms in order to develop improved treatments for patients with rosacea.

Condition

  • Rosacea

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 18 Years and 45 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • Otherwise healthy males and non-pregnant/non-lactating females with mild to moderate erythematotelangiectactic rosacea, as well as age-sex matched healthy control subjects.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, muscular, or other dermatological disorders - Current history of alcohol and/or drug abuse - Known allergies or hypersensitivities to medications/drugs that are used in the protocol - Current smoking or regular smoking within the last 2 years - Body mass index > 35 kg/m2 - Medications or supplements which are known to affect neural, cardiovascular, or muscular responses

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
N/A
Intervention Model
Single Group Assignment
Primary Purpose
Basic Science
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Autonomic responses to stressors 		Protocol 1: mental math and handgrip exercise. Protocol 2: systemic stressors and end-organ receptor stimulation. Protocol 3: local heating.
  • Other: systemic and local stressors
    Protocol 1: skin sympathetic nerve activity will be measured during mental math and handgrip exercise. Protocol 2: skin end organ responses will be measured at baseline and in response to systemic stressors and end-organ receptor stimulation. Protocol 3: skin end organ responses will be measured at baseline and during local heating.

Recruiting Locations

UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science and nearby locations

University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky 40506
Contact:
Kristen Metzler-Wilson
859-218-0833
kristen.metzler@uky.edu

More Details

NCT ID
NCT03989492
Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Kristen Metzler-Wilson

Study Contact

Kristen Metzler-Wilson, PT, PhD
859-218-0833
kristen.metzler@uky.edu