Pain-related learning and memory processes in chronic pain - the role of stress-related burden and traumatic life events
- Conditions
- Chronic pain patients with different degrees of stress-related burden
- Registration Number
- DRKS00030834
- Lead Sponsor
- Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie
- Brief Summary
Not available
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 100
Fluent German; BMI 18-30 kg/m2
Patients with chronic pain: existing diagnosis of a chronic pain disorder with a focus on the musculoskeletal and/or visceral system (with pain > 12 weeks)
All participants: General MRI exclusion criteria (epilepsy, claustrophobia, ferromagnetic implants or prostheses, non-removable braces or piercings, pacemaker, tattoos on neck or neck area, etc.); pregnancy or lactation; skin disease on upper body/trunk area (due to possible interference with electrode and thermode placement).
Chronic pain patients: Tumor-related pain, neuropathic pain, oral and facial pain, migraine; substance abuse; severe psychiatric illness, especially psychotic or manic symptoms, severe acute depressive episode; neurological, oncological diseases; diabetes mellitus; regular use of opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics
Healthy control group: any mental or physical illness, especially acute or chronic pain; regular use of medication (except contraceptives)
Study & Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Repeated assessment of valence and fear in response to predictive cues (CS) and CS-US contingencies using visual analog scales (VAS) across experimental phases on the study day; VAS assessments of US intensity and unpleasantness; electrodermal activity, pupillometry (psychophysiological correlates of conditioned responses of autonomic nervous system); state anxiety and stress-associated parameters (questionnaires)
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Somatic pain thresholds;; Changes in electrogastrogram signal (EGG) and heart rate variability (HRV) during learning and extinction phases; Explicit and implicit emotional and sensory memory (questionnaires/assessments); Hair and salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase (measures of acute and chronic stress) MRI examination prior to experimental day to elicit brain structure, structural and functional connectivity (neurobiological predictors of pain-related learning)