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Procedure

Stellate Ganglion Block for Loss of Smell

Phase 1 & 2
Waitlist Available
Research Sponsored by Washington University School of Medicine
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 5-10 days post sgb #1 and 1 month
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial is testing a treatment called stellate ganglion block, which involves numbing certain nerves in the neck. It aims to help people who have lost their sense of smell and have other long-term symptoms after COVID-19. The treatment works by calming overactive nerve signals to improve these persistent issues.

Eligible Conditions
  • Loss of Smell
  • Reduced Sense of Smell
  • Parosmia
  • Olfactory Disorders

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~5-10 days post sgb #1 and 1 month
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 5-10 days post sgb #1 and 1 month for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Clinical Global Impression - Improvement (CGI-I) Score
Secondary study objectives
Clinical Global Impression - Severity (CGI-S) Score
Olfactory Dysfunction Outcomes Rating (ODOR)
University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT)
Other study objectives
Self-reported change in other Long COVID symptoms

Side effects data

From 2022 Phase 1 & 2 trial • 20 Patients • NCT05445921
100%
Horner syndrome
45%
Hoarseness
35%
Globus
25%
Brief lightheadedness
20%
Numbness of the face
20%
Mild shortness of breath
15%
Nasal congestion
15%
Fatigue
15%
Pain at the injection site
5%
Tightness of the back
5%
Weakness of the neck/back
5%
Headache
5%
Palpitations
5%
Cough
5%
Weakness of the arm
5%
Arm heaviness
5%
Bruising of the injection site
5%
Chest heaviness
5%
Tightness of the shoulder
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Study treatment Arm
Stellate Ganglion Block

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Stellate Ganglion BlockExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
The ultrasound guided stellate ganglion blocks will be performed by a pain management specialist with extensive experience performing these blocks. The first SGB at the initial visit will be performed on the right side, and the second SGB will be on the left side 5-10 days after the first SGB, given that the patient tolerated the first SGB.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Stellate Ganglion Block
2020
Completed Phase 2
~250

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Washington University School of MedicineLead Sponsor
1,991 Previous Clinical Trials
2,295,864 Total Patients Enrolled
~6 spots leftby Nov 2025
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