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Effect of Anticipated Pain on Corticospinal Excitability

NCT07407595 · Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 44

Last updated 2026-02-13

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the anticipation of pain, in the absence of real pain, affects the excitability of the corticospinal pathway. Corticospinal excitability reflects how responsive the motor areas of the brain are when sending signals to muscles.

In this study, healthy adult participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Both groups will receive the application of an inert cream on the forearm. Participants in the experimental group will be told that the cream may cause pain, while participants in the control group will be informed that the cream is completely inactive. In reality, the cream has no physical effect in either group. This design allows the researchers to isolate the effect of pain anticipation (a nocebo effect) without exposing participants to actual pain.

Corticospinal excitability will be measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive technique that stimulates the motor cortex to assess brain-to-muscle communication. Measurements will be taken before and after the application of the cream.

In addition, psychological factors related to catastrophizing and fear of movement will be assessed using validated questionnaires, and physiological responses associated with stress will be measured through heart rate variability.

The main question this study aims to answer is whether anticipating pain, even without experiencing real pain, alters corticospinal excitability, and whether this effect is influenced by fear of movement and catastrophizing. By improving our understanding of how pain-related expectations affect brain function, this research may contribute to better strategies for preventing maladaptive motor changes associated with chronic pain.

Conditions

  • Nocebo Effect
  • Kinesiophobia

Interventions

OTHER

Pain Expectation Manipulation

The intervention consists of an information-based manipulation designed to induce (or not induce) anticipation of pain. Participants receive the application of an inert cream on the forearm. Depending on group assignment, participants are informed either that the cream is inactive and will not produce any sensation, or that it is expected to produce painful sensations such as burning, stinging, or tingling, with onset approximately 10 minutes after application and a gradual increase in intensity over time, reaching a moderate to strong level of perceived pain. The cream itself has no active or sensory effects in any group. This intervention allows manipulation of pain expectation without inducing actual nociceptive stimulation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Universite du Littoral Cote d'Opale

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-02-12
Primary Completion
2026-07-31
Completion
2026-07-31

Countries

  • France

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 NCT07407595 on ClinicalTrials.gov