Do Emotions Affect Mechanical Pain Thresholds?

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Pain
• Interventions: Behavioral: Emotion induction

• Registration Number: NCT06074575
• Lead Sponsor: Linnaeus University

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate if different emotional states could influence mechanical pain thresholds.

Detailed Description

Participants will be randomized into 4 different groups watching different short video-clips (2.20 min). 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 with Swedish nature, and the control group will just wait for 2.20 min, without any instructions about what to think about. Pressure pain thresholds will be measured with an algometer before and after the video-clip interventions.

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2023-10
• Study Start: 2023-10-01
• Study First Submitted: 2023-10-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-10-03
• Study First Posted: 2023-10-10
• Primary Completion: 2024-05-10
• Study Completion: 2024-05-22
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-02-12
• Last Update Posted: 2025-02-14

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 152

Inclusion Criteria

• Above 18 years of age, fluent in Swedish.

Exclusion Criteria

• Pain anywhere in body during the test session, known neurological disease.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SEQUENTIAL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Positive emotional condition.	Emotion induction	The participant will watch a short video-clip with positive emotional content.
Neutral condition.	Emotion induction	The participant will watch a short video-clip with neutral emotional content.
Negative emotional condition	Emotion induction	The participant will watch a short video-clip with negative emotional content.
Control condition.	Emotion induction	The participant will not watch a video-clip, but will wait without specific instructions about what to think about.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pressure pain threshold	Measurements will be conducted at the test session, which will have a duration of approximately 20 minutes for each participant.	Pressure pain threshold value after each different emotion intervention and control compared to before each emotion intervention and control.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Helena Gunnarsson; 🇸🇪 Växjö, Kronoberg, Sweden

Helena Gunnarsson; 🇸🇪 Växjö, Kronoberg, Sweden