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Investigating the Role of Central Pain Hypersensitivity in Skeletal Muscle Neural Drive

NCT07281651 · Status: RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 135

Last updated 2025-12-15

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Background: pain lasting for 12 weeks or beyond, which is often referred to as chronic pain, is common for people living with musculoskeletal conditions (e.g. arthritis, low back pain and fibromyalgia). Pain is often not directly related to the degree of muscle or joint damage. Adaptations of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves) often occur in chronic musculoskeletal conditions and can influence how we feel pain (central pain hypersensitivity). Pain can impact on muscle activity and movement. Muscle activity is also governed by nerve signals from the central nervous system (neural drive).

The goal of this cross-sectional observational study is to investigate whether chronic musculoskeletal pain is associated with altered nerve signalling (neural drive) to skeletal muscles in adults 40 years or over with chronic knee pain, fibromyalgia and healthy pain free volunteers.

The main questions it aims to answer are:-

* Is central pain hypersensitivity associated with altered nerve signalling to skeletal muscles in adults 40 years or over with chronic pain (knee pain and for fibromyalgia) as well as healthy volunteers?
* Is altered nerve signalling to skeletal muscles associated with physical function and disability?

Participants will be asked to:-

* Have sensory testing to determine how they feel pain
* Complete static leg and arm muscle contractions with electrodes on the skin to measure muscle electrical activity
* Complete questionnaires
* Perform a short set of mobility tasks including walking, rising from a chair and balancing.

Conditions

  • Chronic Knee Pain
  • Fibromyalgia

Interventions

OTHER

Central Pain Hypersensitivity

No intervention carried out

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Nottingham

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Stephanie Smith, PhD · University of Nottingham

  • Mathew Piasecki, PhD · University of Nottingham

Eligibility

Min Age
40 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-11-24
Primary Completion
2026-09-30
Completion
2026-09-30

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07281651 on ClinicalTrials.gov