Clinical Management of Neuropathic Pain With Ramelteon

Neuropathic pain is a chronic pain condition resulting from injury to the peripheral and/or central nervous system. Despite extensive research over the last several decades, neuropathic pain remains poorly managed due to the lack of effective pharmacological tools. To date, little has been known regarding the effect of melatonin and its analogues on clinical neuropathic pain. We propose to conduct a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, and crossover clinical trial to examine the effect of ramelteon [a melatonin (MT) 1/ MT2 receptor agonist] on neuropathic pain. We hypothesize that ramelteon would reduce pain score and improve functional status in subjects with neuropathic pain.