Testing Stellate Ganglion Block (Bupivacaine) against a placebo for long COVID
Official title: Stellate Ganglion Block for Long COVID Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of Stellate Ganglion Block Treatment on Long COVID Symptoms: A Single-Blind, Single-Center Randomized Controlled Trial (STAR-CO)
- 2 groups
- One site, in Trois-Rivières
- Recruiting
Interventions
- Medical procedure
Stellate Ganglion Block (Bupivacaine)
A single ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block is administered on the right side of the neck under sterile conditions by an anesthesiologist. The needle is positioned between the longus colli muscle and the right carotid artery, and 7 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine is injected. Correct placement is verified by ultrasound and confirmed clinically by the expected appearance of Claude Bernard-Horner syndrome following the injection. Participants are observed for approximately 30 minutes after the procedure.
- Medical procedure
placebo saline injection
A single placebo injection of 6-8 mL of 0.9% normal saline is administered into the right sternocleidomastoid muscle. The procedure uses the same patient positioning, sterile preparation, and ultrasound guidance as the active arm; however, the needle is intentionally placed in the muscle, away from the stellate ganglion, and does not produce a stellate ganglion block (i.e., cannot cause Claude Bernard-Horner syndrome).
Canadian Sites (1)
1 of 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Centre hospitalier affilié universitaire régional
Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for19 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +Adults aged 18 years and older
- +Positive COVID-19 test confirmed by RT-PCR, antibody test, or antigen test at least 3 months prior to randomizationRandomisedWhich group you go into is decided by chance, not by you or your doctor.Read more →, OR presumed COVID-19 evaluated by the siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → investigatorPrincipal investigatorThe doctor or researcher responsible for running the study at a site.Read more → (no positive test required) with an acute illness occurring after October 15, 2019 and at least 3 months prior to randomization.
- +Persistent symptoms ≥12 weeks after onset of acute COVID-19 AND symptoms lasting at least 2 months. The onset date is defined as the earliest of: date of first positive test, date of first symptoms
- +Post-COVID Functional Status Scale score ≥2.
- +Persistent dyspnea ≥2/4 on the mMRC scale at least 12 weeks post-infection.
- +Persistent COVID-19-related symptoms at the time of randomization.
- +If taking medications for fatigue or cognition (e.g., sildenafil, modafinil, armodafinil, guanfacine, N-acetylcysteine, stimulants for ADHD), these must have been initiated and stable for ≥4 weeks prior to randomization. Participants are asked not to stop or alter these medications during the study if possible.
- +Able and willing to provide written informed consentInformed consentThe process of being told what taking part involves, then choosing freely.Read more →.
- +Able to read and understand French.
Exclusion
- −Known hypersensitivity to bupivacaine.
- −Prior diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or fibromyalgia
- −Being on sick leave or disability at the time of the original acute COVID-19 infection.
- −Myocardial infarction within the last 12 weeks.
- −Use of anticoagulant therapy.
- −Emphysema requiring home oxygen.
- −Cardiac conduction abnormalities.
- −Previous stellate ganglion block (SGB) procedure.
- −Any condition that, in the judgment of the medical investigatorPrincipal investigatorThe doctor or researcher responsible for running the study at a site.Read more →, makes the patient not a candidate for the proposed treatment.
- −Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a treatment for a condition.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
Who receives what
There are 2 groups in this study.
Group A receives Stellate Ganglion Block (Bupivacaine).
Registry label: A: Stellate Ganglion Block with Bupivacaine
Group B, the placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group, receives placebo saline injection.
Registry label: B: Placebo Neck Injection
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].label
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
One group of people involved — usually the participants — is not told which treatment is which.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
One group receives a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → — a dummy treatment with no active medicine in it.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
Who the study is looking for
The study lists a minimum age of 18 years, with no upper limit given.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 40 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around February 2027.
The main measurement is taken over: 4 weeks after the intervention.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale (PCFS) — measured over 4 weeks after the intervention.
Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) — measured over 4 weeks after the intervention.
Brain Fog Scale (BFS) — measured over 4 weeks after the intervention.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT07374562 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About Stellate Ganglion Block (Bupivacaine)Procedure
A single ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block is administered on the right side of the neck under sterile conditions by an anesthesiologist. The needle is positioned between the longus colli muscle and the right carotid artery, and 7 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine is injected. Correct placement is verified by ultrasound and confirmed clinically by the expected appearance of Claude Bernard-Horner syndrome following the injection. Participants are observed for approximately 30 minutes after the procedure.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a procedure is here: A surgery, technique or clinical procedure being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About placebo saline injectionProcedure
A single placebo injection of 6-8 mL of 0.9% normal saline is administered into the right sternocleidomastoid muscle. The procedure uses the same patient positioning, sterile preparation, and ultrasound guidance as the active arm; however, the needle is intentionally placed in the muscle, away from the stellate ganglion, and does not produce a stellate ganglion block (i.e., cannot cause Claude Bernard-Horner syndrome).
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a procedure is here: A surgery, technique or clinical procedure being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: a minimum age of 18 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
Yes. This study includes a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group — a dummy treatment with no active medicine in it.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
One group of people involved — usually the participants — is not told which treatment is which.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists a minimum age of 18 years, with no upper limit given.
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: 4 weeks after the intervention.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2027-02.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 40 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
This single-center, randomized, controlled, single-blind clinical trial evaluates whether a stellate ganglion block (SGB) using bupivacaine can improve persistent symptoms in adults with long COVID. Participants are assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either an ultrasound-guided right-sided SGB or a placebo saline injection delivered to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. After the intervention, participants are followed for 26 weeks with scheduled evaluations that include symptom questionnaires and functional tests. The study assesses changes in functional status, fatigue, cognitive complaints, quality of life, dyspnea, lower-limb endurance, and orthostatic tolerance over time. Safety is monitored throughout all follow-up visits. Approximately 40 participants meeting predefined eligibility criteria will be enrolled. This trial seeks to determine whether a single stellate ganglion block has an effect on persistent long-COVID symptoms compared with placebo.The results will help determine the therapeutic value of SGB in the management of long COVID and inform future research and clinical practice.
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.