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Trial registered on ANZCTR
Registration number
ACTRN12618000856213
Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
20/05/2018
Date registered
22/05/2018
Date last updated
22/05/2018
Type of registration
Prospectively registered
Titles & IDs
Public title
Can castor oil improve tear film and ocular surface quality?
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Scientific title
Evaluation of the ocular surface and tear film effects of topical castor oil application to the eyelids in participants with blepharitis
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Secondary ID [1]
294937
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None
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Universal Trial Number (UTN)
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Trial acronym
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Linked study record
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Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Blepharitis
307910
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Condition category
Condition code
Eye
306954
306954
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0
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Diseases / disorders of the eye
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Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
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Description of intervention(s) / exposure
After training by clinical researchers, participants will topically apply approximately 0.2g of 100% cold pressed castor oil to the external upper and lower eyelid skin surfaces close to the eyelash line. Application will be to one eye only using a dedicated 10ml vial fitted with a roller ball applicator, twice daily (morning and night) for 4 weeks. Treatment compliance will be confirmed by text messaging on day 1 and weekly, with reminders not to apply castor oil on the day of assessment at week 4.
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Intervention code [1]
301256
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Treatment: Other
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Comparator / control treatment
The untreated fellow eye serves as the control for comparison. The control eye receives no treatment.
Text messaging will reinforce the need to apply the treatment to just one eye and encourage the participant to check their documentation to ensure they are applying the castor oil to the eyelids of the correct eye.
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Control group
Active
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Outcomes
Primary outcome [1]
305940
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Lipid layer grade change of greater than or equal to 1 grade on the Guillon grading scale, evaluated by interferometry using the Oculus Keratograph 5M
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Assessment method [1]
305940
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Timepoint [1]
305940
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Baseline, 4 weeks after treatment commencement
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Secondary outcome [1]
347080
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Clinical blepharitis grade as assessed by slit lamp examination
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Assessment method [1]
347080
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Timepoint [1]
347080
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Baseline, 4 weeks after treatment commencement
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Secondary outcome [2]
347081
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Non-invasive tear film stability as measured by the Oculus Keratograph 5M
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Assessment method [2]
347081
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Timepoint [2]
347081
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Baseline, 4 weeks after treatment commencement
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Secondary outcome [3]
347082
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Discomfort symptoms (on the Ocular Surface Disease Index validated questionnaire)
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Assessment method [3]
347082
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Timepoint [3]
347082
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Baseline, 4 weeks after treatment commencement
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Secondary outcome [4]
347083
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Bulbar hyperaemia as assessed objectively with the Oculus Keratograph 5M
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Assessment method [4]
347083
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Timepoint [4]
347083
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Baseline, 4 weeks after treatment commencement
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Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
Aged over 18 years
Clinical signs and symptoms of anterior blepharitis
Symmetry in signs and symptoms of both eyes at baseline
Crusting of the eyelashes and/or signs of meibomian gland dysfunction
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Minimum age
18
Years
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Maximum age
No limit
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Sex
Both males and females
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Can healthy volunteers participate?
No
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Key exclusion criteria
Current topical use of eye drops other than occasional use of artificial tears
Current active infection
Abnormal eyelid architecture that prevents full eyelid closure during blinking
Use of systemic medications that are known to affect the lacrimal system (cause eye dryness)
Changed or planned change in systemic medication within 4 weeks of study commencement
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Study design
Purpose of the study
Treatment
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Allocation to intervention
Randomised controlled trial
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Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
Participants will be informed about which eye to treat via written instructions provided in a sealed opaque envelope.
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Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
Computerised sequence generation
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Masking / blinding
Blinded (masking used)
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Who is / are masked / blinded?
The people assessing the outcomes
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Intervention assignment
Parallel
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Other design features
Paired eye design - one eye (randomised) will receive treatment in each individual and the fellow eye will not receive any treatment.
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Phase
Phase 2
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Type of endpoint/s
Efficacy
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Statistical methods / analysis
Power calculation indicates a minimum sample size of 16 to show a significant difference (at p<0.05 with 80% power) in lipid layer grade. However for differences in the secondary outcomes a larger sample size (of n=55) is required.
Repeated measures ANOVA for data confirmed to be normally distributed by the Kolomogarov Smirnoff test of normality. A Friedmann test (non-parametric equivalent) for ordinal data.
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Recruitment
Recruitment status
Not yet recruiting
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Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
1/06/2018
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Actual
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Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
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Actual
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Date of last data collection
Anticipated
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Actual
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Sample size
Target
60
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Accrual to date
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Final
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Recruitment outside Australia
Country [1]
10412
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New Zealand
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State/province [1]
10412
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Auckland
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Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1]
299522
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University
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Name [1]
299522
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The University of Auckland
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Address [1]
299522
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Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142
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Country [1]
299522
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New Zealand
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Primary sponsor type
University
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Name
The University of Auckland
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Address
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142
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Country
New Zealand
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Secondary sponsor category [1]
298822
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None
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Name [1]
298822
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Address [1]
298822
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Country [1]
298822
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Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
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Ethics committee name [1]
300419
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The University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee
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Ethics committee address [1]
300419
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Private Bag 92019 Auckland 1142
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Ethics committee country [1]
300419
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New Zealand
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Date submitted for ethics approval [1]
300419
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28/02/2018
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Approval date [1]
300419
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13/04/2018
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Ethics approval number [1]
300419
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020783
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Summary
Brief summary
Eyedrops containing castor oil can be used to relieve symptoms of dry eye disease. This study seeks to determine if the application of castor oil to the eyelids improves the eyelid margin health and the tear film quality. This is a prospective, investigator-masked, paired-eye trial where one eye of each participant with bilateral anterior blepharitis will be selected for castor oil application according to a computerised randomisation schedule created pre-recruitment. The fellow eye will remain untreated, as the control. Clinicians collecting data will be masked with respect to the eye that has been assigned castor oil application. Participants will be asked to refrain from applying castor oil on the day of assessment to minimise the risk of unmasking. Pre-treatment signs & symptoms will be measured using validated, non-invasive dry eye clinical tests. Following 4 weeks of twice daily application of castor oil to both upper and lower eyelids with a roller ball applicator, post-treatment signs and symptoms will be remeasured and compared to baseline. The battery of tests will take up to 45 minutes to perform at each visit and will include clinical tests and patient reported outcomes via symptom questionnaires.
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Trial website
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Trial related presentations / publications
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Public notes
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Contacts
Principal investigator
Name
83602
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A/Prof Jennifer P Craig
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Address
83602
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Department of Ophthalmology
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142
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Country
83602
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New Zealand
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Phone
83602
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+6499238173
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Fax
83602
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Email
83602
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[email protected]
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Contact person for public queries
Name
83603
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Jennifer P Craig
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Address
83603
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Department of Ophthalmology
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142
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Country
83603
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New Zealand
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Phone
83603
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+6499238173
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Fax
83603
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Email
83603
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[email protected]
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Contact person for scientific queries
Name
83604
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Jennifer P Craig
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Address
83604
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Department of Ophthalmology
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142
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Country
83604
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New Zealand
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Phone
83604
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+6499238173
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Fax
83604
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Email
83604
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[email protected]
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No information has been provided regarding IPD availability
What supporting documents are/will be available?
No Supporting Document Provided
Results publications and other study-related documents
Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.
Documents added automatically
Source
Title
Year of Publication
DOI
Embase
Randomized trial of topical periocular castor oil treatment for blepharitis.
2021
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2020.05.007
N.B. These documents automatically identified may not have been verified by the study sponsor.
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