Healthy ParticipantsMassage: NeuroNCT07190313
Massage: Neuroimaging and Correlates of Response - 1-week Study
A study testing Swedish Massage Therapy in people with Healthy Participants, run by University of Utah at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will compare the effects (good or bad) of Swedish massage or light touch therapy on your brain activity, physical responses (like heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate), and mood and stress. This is a randomized research study. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 64 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Participants
- What is being tested?
- Swedish Massage Therapy
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 24 Apr 2024to 28 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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 18 to 64 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Male or female
- aged ≥ 18 and < 65 years old.
- Medically stable
- Psychiatrically healthy as demonstrated by a structured clinical interview that elicits no previous or current Axis I psychopathology
- Ability to lie prone or supine for one hour at a time, given the nature of the massage intervention
- Subjects must have a permanent domicile
- Subjects must be able to comply with the research protocol
- Able to provide informed consent and willing to sign an approved consent form that conforms to federal and institutional guidelines.
Who cannot join
- Current (within 3 months of screening visit) nicotine use, illicit drug use, or long-term medication use that, in the opinion of the investigator, could alter the results of the study
- Pregnancy (per participant report, pregnancy testing not done for study)
- Usually is asleep during the daytime (ie due to Working third-shift), or any other behaviors that routinely disrupt normal diurnal (daily) rhythms
- Current (past month) rigorous dieting (defined as <1200 calories per day for ≥2 consecutive days)
- In the month before screening visit, excessive regular use of alcohol, as defined by either of the following, twice a month or more often: (a drink is one 5 ounce glass of wine or equivalent) a. ingestion of 5 drinks or more in a 2 hour period b. ingestion of 7 drinks or more in a 24 hour period
- At screening visit, CURRENTLY using any of the following interventions because of psychological distress (for example, for treatment of anxiety and/or other psychiatric condition). (These types of treatments are also prohibited during the study period.) a. participating in psychotherapy b. participating in CAM (complementary and alternative medical interventions) c. taking medication(s) (for example anxiolytics, antidepressants, and other psychotropic medications)
Show all 13Show fewer
- Participant meets criteria for current suicidal or homicidal ideation
- Subjects who have massages on a regular basis. Regular massage usage will be defined as receiving on average 4 or more massages/year for the last 5 years
- Subjects currently employing any other CAM manual therapy and/or holistic therapies to treat a perceived health problem
- History of head injury or neurological disorder, that in the investigator's opinion would impact the data or preclude safe and successful completion of the study. - History of cancer that required chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment
- General contraindication to MRI - Because MRI uses a very strong magnet, subjects cannot have metals in their bodies or certain medical conditions. Subjects cannot have a cardiac pacemaker; hearing aid; any other implant metal in their body or eyes, including pins, screws, shrapnel, plates, teeth braces, or dentures. Subjects cannot have tattoos on their head, such as eyeliner or other permanent makeup, as they may make it impossible to get clear and usable images
- Medical, psychiatric, cognitive, or other conditions that may compromise the subject's ability to understand the subject information, give informed consent, comply with the study protocol, or complete the study
- Current participation in another research study (excluding large natural cohort trials such as 'All of Us')
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108
About this study
Official title: Massage: Neuroimaging and Correlates of Response
This study will compare the effects (good or bad) of Swedish massage or light touch therapy on your brain activity, physical responses (like heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate), and mood and stress. This is a randomized research study. "Randomized" means that participants will be assigned to a study group by chance, like flipping a coin. Participants will be randomized into one of two study groups, and will have an equal chance of being placed in one of the groups: - A single session of Swedish massage therapy - A single session of Light touch therapy At the study visit, the study staff ask about life stressors, medical health, medicine use, and illicit substance use over the past week. The study uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as functional MRI (fMRI) to look at the structure and activation of the brain. Participants will undergo two brain scanning sessions, one immediately before and one immediately after the Swedish massage or light touch therapy. The scans will last approximately 45 minutes. During the brain scanning sessions, information on heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and breathing will also be collected.
Read the detailed description
This is a two-arm, randomized, single masked study investigating the effects of a single session of Swedish massage therapy (SMT) vs. a light touch (LT) control on brain activity, assessments, and autonomic function in non-psychiatric control subjects. The Primary Objective is to identify brain networks activated by SMT vs. LT using resting state fMRI and Functional Connectivity during the neutral/fearful/angry faces task in normal control subjects. The secondary objective is to correlate changes in autonomic measures with resting state fMRI.
- Conditions
- Healthy Participants
- Being tested
- Swedish Massage Therapy, Light Touch Control
- Keywords
- massage, magnetic resonance imaging
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Swedish Massage TherapyOther
The therapist uses non-aromatic cream to facilitate making long strokes over the body. Swedish massage is done with the subject covered by a sheet, a technique called "draping." One part of the body is uncovered, massaged, and then re-draped before moving to another part. The primary techniques used in the research protocol therapy are effleurage, petrissage, kneading, tapotement and thumb friction. These techniques are performed in a very precise, carefully elaborated manner. The session starts with the subject fully draped in a prone position on the massage table and after approximately 22 minutes the subject is instructed to turn to the supine position. Finally, the therapist moves to the head area of the subject, begins working on the shoulders, neck and head using effleurage and thumb friction, and concludes by using light tapotement on the head. The total time for the entire massage is 45 minutes. Subjects randomized to SMT will undergo a single session.
Light Touch ControlOther
The Light Touch Control protocol entails the same duration and sequence of procedures as the massage protocol, except that the therapist employs only light-touch hand placement on the subject's body. This condition isolates the effect of the mechanical intervention of SMT. Subjects randomized to LT will undergo a single session.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish Massage Therapy | Experimental | The therapist uses non-aromatic cream to facilitate making long strokes over the body. Swedish massage is done with the subject covered by a sheet, a technique called "draping." One part of the body is uncovered, massaged, and then re-draped before moving to another part. The primary techniques used in the research protocol therapy are effleurage, petrissage, kneading, tapotement and thumb friction. These techniques are performed in a very precise, carefully elaborated manner. The session starts with the subject fully draped in a prone position on the massage table and after approximately 22 minutes the subject is instructed to turn to the supine position. Finally, the therapist moves to the head area of the subject, begins working on the shoulders, neck and head using effleurage and thumb friction, and concludes by using light tapotement on the head. The total time for the entire massage is 45 minutes. Subjects randomized to SMT will undergo a single session. Receives: Other: Swedish Massage Therapy |
| Light Touch Control | Active comparator | The Light Touch Control protocol entails the same duration and sequence of procedures as the massage protocol, except that the therapist employs only light-touch hand placement on the subject's body. This condition isolates the effect of the mechanical intervention of SMT. Subjects randomized to LT will undergo a single session. Receives: Other: Light Touch Control |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in resting state functional connectivity during fMRI
Resting state functional connectivity during fMRI will be evaluated immediately before and immediately after a single session of SMT or LT in healthy non-psychiatric control subjects.
Measured: Day 1
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in connectivity in response to fearful/angry faces task
Neuronal connectivity in response to neutral/fearful/angry faces task during fMRI will be evaluated immediately before and immediately after a single session of SMT or LT in healthy non-psychiatric control subjects.
Measured: Day 1
Autonomic activity (heart rate variability, heart rate, pulse)
Correlation of change in autonomic measures (heart rate variability, heart rate, pulse) with resting state functional connectivity and neuronal activation in response to fearful/angry faces task during fMRI will be determined immediately before and immediately after a single session of SMT or LT in healthy non-psychiatric control subjects.
Measured: Day 1
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Sep 2025
- Study start24 Apr 2024
- Primary completion28 Dec 2025
- Study completion28 Feb 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Healthy ParticipantsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of UtahThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- This is a two-arm, randomized, single masked study investigating the effects of a single session of Swedish massage therapy (SMT) vs. a light touch (LT) control on brain activity, assessments, and autonomic function in healthy non-psychiatric control subjects.
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Utah
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Becky Kinkead, University of Utah
- Investigators
- Becky Kinkead, PhD, Principal investigator, Utah, University of
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07190313
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB #155218
- Acronym
- Massage: Neuro
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 27 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: We will maximize the appropriate sharing of scientific data generated from the conducted research, consistent with privacy, security, informed consent, and proprietary issues. Data management and sharing will be addressed in the informed consent process, including communicating with prospective participants how their scientific data are expected to be used and shared.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Massage: Neuroimaging and Correlates of Response
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07190313
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Massage: Neuro / IRB #155218
- Conditions
- Healthy Participants
- Keywords
- massage, magnetic resonance imaging
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of UtahUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 24 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 28 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Sep 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.
This study will compare the effects (good or bad) of Swedish massage or light touch therapy on your brain activity, physical responses (like heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate), and mood and stress. This is a randomized research study. "Randomized" means that participants will be assigned to a study group by chance, like flipping a coin. Participants will be randomized into one of two study groups, and will have an equal chance of being placed in one of the groups: - A single session of Swedish massage therapy - A single session of Light touch therapy At the study visit, the study staff ask about life stressors, medical health, medicine use, and illicit substance use over the past week. The study uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as functional MRI (fMRI) to look at the structure and activation of the brain. Participants will undergo two brain scanning sessions, one immediately before and one immediately after the Swedish massage or light touch therapy. The scans will last approximately 45 minutes. During the brain scanning sessions, information on heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and breathing will also be collected.
Detailed description
This is a two-arm, randomized, single masked study investigating the effects of a single session of Swedish massage therapy (SMT) vs. a light touch (LT) control on brain activity, assessments, and autonomic function in non-psychiatric control subjects. The Primary Objective is to identify brain networks activated by SMT vs. LT using resting state fMRI and Functional Connectivity during the neutral/fearful/angry faces task in normal control subjects. The secondary objective is to correlate changes in autonomic measures with resting state fMRI.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- This is a two-arm, randomized, single masked study investigating the effects of a single session of Swedish massage therapy (SMT) vs. a light touch (LT) control on brain activity, assessments, and autonomic function in healthy non-psychiatric control subjects.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish Massage Therapy | Experimental | Other: Swedish Massage TherapyThe therapist uses non-aromatic cream to facilitate making long strokes over the body. Swedish massage is done with the subject covered by a sheet, a technique called "draping." One part of the body is uncovered, massaged, and then re-draped before moving to another part. The primary techniques used in the research protocol therapy are effleurage, petrissage, kneading, tapotement and thumb friction. These techniques are performed in a very precise, carefully elaborated manner. The session starts with the subject fully draped in a prone position on the massage table and after approximately 22 minutes the subject is instructed to turn to the supine position. Finally, the therapist moves to the head area of the subject, begins working on the shoulders, neck and head using effleurage and thumb friction, and concludes by using light tapotement on the head. The total time for the entire massage is 45 minutes. Subjects randomized to SMT will undergo a single session. |
| Light Touch Control | Active comparator | Other: Light Touch ControlThe Light Touch Control protocol entails the same duration and sequence of procedures as the massage protocol, except that the therapist employs only light-touch hand placement on the subject's body. This condition isolates the effect of the mechanical intervention of SMT. Subjects randomized to LT will undergo a single session. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 64 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Male or female
- aged ≥ 18 and < 65 years old.
- Medically stable
- Psychiatrically healthy as demonstrated by a structured clinical interview that elicits no previous or current Axis I psychopathology
- Ability to lie prone or supine for one hour at a time, given the nature of the massage intervention
Key exclusion criteria (13 listed)
- Current (within 3 months of screening visit) nicotine use, illicit drug use, or long-term medication use that, in the opinion of the investigator, could alter the results of the study
- Pregnancy (per participant report, pregnancy testing not done for study)
- Usually is asleep during the daytime (ie due to Working third-shift), or any other behaviors that routinely disrupt normal diurnal (daily) rhythms
- Current (past month) rigorous dieting (defined as <1200 calories per day for ≥2 consecutive days)
- In the month before screening visit, excessive regular use of alcohol, as defined by either of the following, twice a month or more often: (a drink is one 5 ounce glass of wine or equivalent) a. ingestion of 5 drinks or more in a 2 hour period b. ingestion of 7 drinks or more in a 24 hour period
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish Massage TherapyThe therapist uses non-aromatic cream to facilitate making long strokes over the body. Swedish massage is done with the subject covered by a sheet, a technique called "draping." One part of the body is uncovered, massaged, and then re-draped before moving to another part. The primary techniques used in the research protocol therapy are effleurage, petrissage, kneading, tapotement and thumb friction. These techniques are performed in a very precise, carefully elaborated manner. The session starts with the subject fully draped in a prone position on the massage table and after approximately 22 minutes the subject is instructed to turn to the supine position. Finally, the therapist moves to the head area of the subject, begins working on the shoulders, neck and head using effleurage and thumb friction, and concludes by using light tapotement on the head. The total time for the entire massage is 45 minutes. Subjects randomized to SMT will undergo a single session. | Other | Swedish Massage Therapy |
| Light Touch ControlThe Light Touch Control protocol entails the same duration and sequence of procedures as the massage protocol, except that the therapist employs only light-touch hand placement on the subject's body. This condition isolates the effect of the mechanical intervention of SMT. Subjects randomized to LT will undergo a single session. | Other | Light Touch Control |
Primary outcome
Change in resting state functional connectivity during fMRI
Time frame: Day 1
Resting state functional connectivity during fMRI will be evaluated immediately before and immediately after a single session of SMT or LT in healthy non-psychiatric control subjects.
2 secondary outcomes
Change in connectivity in response to fearful/angry faces task
Time frame: Day 1
Autonomic activity (heart rate variability, heart rate, pulse)
Time frame: Day 1
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. We will maximize the appropriate sharing of scientific data generated from the conducted research, consistent with privacy, security, informed consent, and proprietary issues. Data management and sharing will be addressed in the informed consent process, including communicating with prospective participants how their scientific data are expected to be used and shared.
Related trials for Healthy Participants
Not yet recruitingPhase 1
A Phase I Study of GLR2053 Tablets in Chinese Healthy Adult Participants
Atopic Dermatitis
Not yet recruiting
Neuroergonomic Analysis of a Brain-Computer Interface Device (BCI)
Healthy Volunteers - Male and Female
RecruitingPhase 1
First-in-Human Trial to Assess REGN20423 in Healthy Adult Participants and Adult Participants With Atopic Dermatitis
Healthy Volunteer, Atopic Dermatitis
RecruitingPhase 1
A Study to Evaluate the Metabolism, the Routes and Extent of Elimination, and Drug Levels of [14C]Navlimetostat (BMS-986504) in Healthy Female Participants
Healthy Female Participants
Not yet recruiting
REM Enhancement Sleep Technology for Well-being, Emotion, and Life Lift
Healthy Adult Participants
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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Becky Kinkead, PhD principal investigator
Utah, University of
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Swedish Massage Therapy in people with Healthy Participants, run by University of Utah at 1 site in United States.
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 8 inclusion and 13 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in resting state functional connectivity during fMRI (time frame: Day 1). 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 27 Aug 2026.