Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Colin Greaves
ORCID ID
Contact details
Wyndham House Surgery
Silverton
EX5 4HZ
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1392 860034
c.j.greaves@exeter.ac.uk
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N0100168711
Study information
Scientific title
Acronym
Study hypothesis
1. To determine whether magnetic bracelets of 50mT field strength (at the ventral wrist-facing surface) are sufficiently convincing placebos for use in future trials of magnetic bracelets. The null hypothesis is that the proportion of people believing a bracelet is magnetic will be the same for people given (and allowed to test) 50mT and 180mT bracelets.
2. A secondary hypothesis relates to the difference in strength of belief that each type of bracelet may be therapeutic in relieving osteoarthritis pain.
Ethics approval
Added 21 July 2008: the study protocol and procedures were submitted to N&E Devon NHS Research Ethics Committee who considered that, as study design work conducted outside any NHS setting, the study did not require formal Committee approval.
Study design
Randomised controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Not specified
Trial type
Not Specified
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Condition
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Intervention
Randomised controlled trial, comparing belief in magnetic status between 2 groups.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Specified
Drug names
Primary outcome measures
Added 21 July 2008:
Based on the magnet assigned to the participant, responses to the question "Which kind of magnet do you think you have been given?" [Active /Inactive /Dont know].
Secondary outcome measures
Added 21 July 2008:
Based on the magnet assigned to the participant, responses to the question How convinced are you that wearing this bracelet on your wrist for 3 months would help to relieve pain in your joints? [visual analogue scale from 0=Not at all to 10 = Totally convinced].
Overall trial start date
01/10/2005
Overall trial end date
01/06/2006
Reason abandoned
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
108 osteoarthritis patients who do not currently use magnetic bracelet therapy.
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Not Specified
Gender
Not Specified
Target number of participants
108
Participant exclusion criteria
Not provided at time of registration
Recruitment start date
01/10/2005
Recruitment end date
01/06/2006
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
Wyndham House Surgery
Silverton
EX5 4HZ
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Organisation
Record Provided by the NHSTCT Register - 2006 Update - Department of Health
Sponsor details
The Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2NL
United Kingdom
+44 (0)20 7307 2622
dhmail@doh.gsi.org.uk
Sponsor type
Government
Website
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
Mid Devon Primary Care Trust & Mid Devon Research Group (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
NHS R&D Support Funding
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Results - basic reporting
Publication summary
2008 results in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18534331
Publication citations
-
Results
Greaves CJ, Harlow TN, Exploration of the validity of weak magnets as a suitable placebo in trials of magnetic therapy., Complement Ther Med, 2008, 16, 3, 177-180, doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2008.01.002.