Pain ThresholdsNCT06851208
Do Emotions and Pain Combined Affect Mechanical Pain Thresholds and Other Pain-related Variables in Individuals with Chronic Pain?
A study testing Emotional intervention in people with Pain Thresholds and Pain Intensity, run by Linnaeus University.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate if different emotional states could influence mechanical pain thresholds and other pain - related variables such as pain tolerance, pain intensity and pain - related negative affect in individuals with chronic pain. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Pain Thresholds, Pain Intensity
- What is being tested?
- Emotional intervention
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 180 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2026to 30 Jun 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 19 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Above 18 years of age
- Fluent in Swedish
- Persistent chronic pain with duration > 6 months
Who cannot join
- Known neurological disease
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
The purpose of this study is to investigate if different emotional states could influence mechanical pain thresholds and other pain - related variables such as pain tolerance, pain intensity and pain - related negative affect in individuals with chronic pain.
Read the detailed description
Participants with chronic pain will be randomized into 4 different groups watching different short video-clips (2.20 min), while at the same time experience short-lasting, experimentally induced pain. The negative emotions group will watch an uncomfortable short video containing violence and blood, the positive emotions group will watch a video containing a stand-up comedy show, the neutral emotions group will watch a video about how to paint a house, and the control group will just wait for 2.20 min, without any instructions about what to think about. Pressure pain thresholds, pain tolerance, pain intensity and pain-related negative affect will be measured with an algometer before and after the video-clip combined with experimental pain interventions.
- Conditions
- Pain Thresholds, Pain Intensity
- Being tested
- Emotional intervention
- Keywords
- Pressure pain thresholds, Pain, Emotions
- Medical subject headings
- Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Emotional interventionOther
Emotional intervention Description: The participant will watch a short video-clip with negative emotional content while simultaneously experience experimentally induced pain.
Emotional interventionOther
Description: The participant will watch a short video-clip with positive emotional content while simultaneously experience experimentally induced pain.
Emotional interventionOther
Description: The participant will watch a short video-clip with neutral emotional content while simultaneously experience experimentally induced pain.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: Negative emotion, positive emotion, neutral emotion, control with experimental pain | Experimental | Arm Description: The intervention includes either a negatively emotionally valenced video, a positively emotionally valenced video, a neutrally emotionally valenced video and experimental pain from the cold pressor test that are simultaneosly applied. Receives: Other: Emotional intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pressure pain thresholds
Description: Pressure pain thresholds will be measured i kPa with a handheld algometer (Somedic AB).
Measured: Day 1: baseline PPTs are measured, intervention 2.20 min follows and intervention PPTs are measured directly after the intervention. Recruitment for single appointments for each participant will take place for 4 months.
Secondary outcomes (3)
Pain tolerance (time in seconds the left hand is immersed in cold water 1 degree C).
Description: The measure pain tolerance equals the time the time the participant keeps their left hand immersed in cold water (1 degree C), before they decide to withdraw their hand. This will be measured in seconds. For each participant, the maximum time to keep the hand immersed in water is 300 seconds. Participants are successively recruited for single appointments for 4 months.
Measured: Day 1: During a single session (30 min), the participant will keep their hand immersed in cold water for as long as possible while watching a video. This time will be measured in seconds.
Pain intensity on the NRS
Participants will rate their perceived pain intensity on the NRS (Numerical Rating Scale) after the intervention (film-clip combined with pain induction using the cold pressor apparatus with cold water 1 degree C. This will take place on a single session appointment for each participant. Participants will be successively recruited for single session appointments for 4 months.
Measured: Day 1: Pain intensity will be estimated at single session appointments (30 min) on the NRS (Numerical Rating Scale) after the intervention. Participants will be successively recruited for single session appointments for 4 months.
Pain-related negative affect on the NRS-A
Description: Perceived pain-related negative affect will be estimated on the NRS-A (Numerical Rating Scale- Anxiety) after the intervention (film-clip combined with pain induction with the cold pressor apparatus with cold water 1 degree C).The pain intensity will be estimated at every single session appointment (30 min) after the intervention on the NRS (Numerical Rating Scale). The participants will be successively recruited for single session appointments for 4 months.
Measured: Day 1: Pain intensity will be estimated at single session appointments (30 min) on the NRS-A (Numerical Rating Scale-Anxiety) after the intervention. Participants will be successively recruited for single session appointments for 4 months.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Feb 2025
- Study start1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Pain ThresholdsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Within-subjects design
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Linnaeus University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Helena Gunnarsson, Linnaeus University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06851208
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2024-07781-01 ethic approval
- Status last verified
- Feb 2025
- First submitted
- 21 Feb 2025
- Last updated
- 28 Feb 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Feb 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Do Emotions and Pain Combined Affect Mechanical Pain Thresholds and Other Pain-related Variables in Individuals with Chronic Pain?
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06851208
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2024-07781-01 ethic approval
- Conditions
- Pain Thresholds, Pain Intensity
- Keywords
- Pressure pain thresholds, Pain, Emotions
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Linnaeus UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 28 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to investigate if different emotional states could influence mechanical pain thresholds and other pain - related variables such as pain tolerance, pain intensity and pain - related negative affect in individuals with chronic pain.
Detailed description
Participants with chronic pain will be randomized into 4 different groups watching different short video-clips (2.20 min), while at the same time experience short-lasting, experimentally induced pain. The negative emotions group will watch an uncomfortable short video containing violence and blood, the positive emotions group will watch a video containing a stand-up comedy show, the neutral emotions group will watch a video about how to paint a house, and the control group will just wait for 2.20 min, without any instructions about what to think about. Pressure pain thresholds, pain tolerance, pain intensity and pain-related negative affect will be measured with an algometer before and after the video-clip combined with experimental pain interventions.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- Within-subjects design
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: Negative emotion, positive emotion, neutral emotion, control with experimental pain | Experimental | Other: Emotional interventionArm Description: The intervention includes either a negatively emotionally valenced video, a positively emotionally valenced video, a neutrally emotionally valenced video and experimental pain from the cold pressor test that are simultaneosly applied. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Above 18 years of age
- Fluent in Swedish
- Persistent chronic pain with duration > 6 months
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Known neurological disease
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional interventionEmotional intervention Description: The participant will watch a short video-clip with negative emotional content while simultaneously experience experimentally induced pain. | Other | Experimental: Negative emotion, positive emotion, neutral emotion, control with experimental pain |
| Emotional interventionDescription: The participant will watch a short video-clip with positive emotional content while simultaneously experience experimentally induced pain. | Other | Experimental: Negative emotion, positive emotion, neutral emotion, control with experimental pain |
| Emotional interventionDescription: The participant will watch a short video-clip with neutral emotional content while simultaneously experience experimentally induced pain. | Other | Experimental: Negative emotion, positive emotion, neutral emotion, control with experimental pain |
Primary outcome
Pressure pain thresholds
Time frame: Day 1: baseline PPTs are measured, intervention 2.20 min follows and intervention PPTs are measured directly after the intervention. Recruitment for single appointments for each participant will take place for 4 months.
Description: Pressure pain thresholds will be measured i kPa with a handheld algometer (Somedic AB).
3 secondary outcomes
Pain tolerance (time in seconds the left hand is immersed in cold water 1 degree C).
Time frame: Day 1: During a single session (30 min), the participant will keep their hand immersed in cold water for as long as possible while watching a video. This time will be measured in seconds.
Pain intensity on the NRS
Time frame: Day 1: Pain intensity will be estimated at single session appointments (30 min) on the NRS (Numerical Rating Scale) after the intervention. Participants will be successively recruited for single session appointments for 4 months.
Pain-related negative affect on the NRS-A
Time frame: Day 1: Pain intensity will be estimated at single session appointments (30 min) on the NRS-A (Numerical Rating Scale-Anxiety) after the intervention. Participants will be successively recruited for single session appointments for 4 months.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Feb 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Emotional intervention in people with Pain Thresholds and Pain Intensity, run by Linnaeus University.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Feb 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Helena Gunnarsson, Dr (+46708432509, helena.gunnarsson@lnu.se), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Pressure pain thresholds (time frame: Day 1: baseline PPTs are measured, intervention 2.20 min follows and intervention PPTs are measured directly after the intervention. Recruitment for single appointments for each participant will take place for 4 months.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Feb 2025.