Depression/anxiety drug could help knee osteoarthritis – new trial

People are being recruited to take part in a trial to see if an anxiety/depression drug (duloxetine) can work against the pain of knee osteoarthritis too.

If results from the trial are positive, duloxetine could provide a new treatment option for millions of people living with knee osteoarthritis, particularly because current treatment options are so limited.

People taking part in the trial will have MRI scans of their brains before taking the medication for six weeks. Then they will have another MRI scan afterwards.

The effects of the medication will be assessed via questionnaires, imaging and sensory tests.

“Duloxetine has already been shown to be effective in relieving different types of chronic pain,” explains Diane Reckziegel, lead investigator. “However, what we don’t know is how this drug works to reduce pain, and to whom it may be more useful. By comparing the brains of patients with osteoarthritis before and after the treatment we hope to achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms of pain relief. This will help us select patients who might benefit more from duloxetine treatment.”

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