Do Emotions and Pain Combined Affect Mechanical Pain Thresholds and Other Pain-related Variables in Individuals with Chronic Pain?
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 180
- Primary Endpoint
- Pressure pain thresholds
Study Overview
Brief 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.
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
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 19 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Above 18 years of age
- •Fluent in Swedish
- •Persistent chronic pain with duration > 6 months
Exclusion Criteria
- •Known neurological disease
Arms & Interventions
Experimental: Negative emotion, positive emotion, neutral emotion, control with experimental pain
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.
Intervention: Emotional intervention (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
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).
Secondary Outcomes
- Pain tolerance (time in seconds the left hand is immersed in cold water 1 degree C).(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(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(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.)
Investigators
Helena Gunnarsson
Dr
Linnaeus University