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The Effect of Exposure to Aversive Non-verbal Vocalizations on Pain Tolerance

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Healthy
Interventions
Behavioral: Cold pressor task (CPT)
Diagnostic Test: index NOL
Behavioral: Playback Experiments
Diagnostic Test: Video-pupillometry
Registration Number
NCT04423874
Lead Sponsor
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne
Brief Summary

Humans produce non-verbal vocalizations (shouting, growling, screaming), laughter, ...) in various contexts that are likely to perform biological functions.

and important social issues. Yet despite their importance in the human vocal repertoire, the mechanisms and functions of non-verbal vocalizations remain little studied and poorly understood including in humans.

In this context, the investigators wish to examine how the perception of vocalizations non-verbal aversive behaviours influence pain tolerance in healthy adults.

Detailed Description

Humans produce nonverbal vocalisations such as screams, grunts, roars, cries and laughter across a variety of contexts. Yet despite the prominence and apparent importance of these nonverbal sounds in human communication, the investigators still know very little about their influence on human perception and behaviour. That's why, in this study, the investigators will examine specifically the influence of nonverbal vocal perception on pain tolerance.

The remainder of the study will involve up to three trials of a pain tolerance (cold pressor) task, during which the investigators will ask participants to listen to vocalisations (e.g., babies' cries or babbling) while submerging the participant's hand in bath of circulating cold water.

The results of the study will contribute to theoretical understanding of the functions of nonverbal vocal communication in humans, in particular the influence of nonverbal vocal and perception (of babies' cries) on pain tolerance.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
104
Inclusion Criteria
  • Participant in good health
  • Affiliated or entitled participant in a social security scheme
  • Participant who received informed information about the study and co-signed, with the investigator, a consent to participate in the study
Exclusion Criteria
  • Chronic pain
  • High blood pressure or poor circulation
  • Cardiac or vascular disease, or a heart condition (including symptoms of Raynaud's syndrome)
  • Allergy or hypersensitivity to cold
  • Diabetes
  • Epilepsy
  • Pregnancy
  • Recent serious injury
  • Neurological or psychiatric condition known to affect pain tolerance (e.g., peripheral neuropathy, schizophrenia)
  • History of fainting or seizures
  • History of frostbite

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Healthy adult population aged 18 to 60 years.index NOLTheir pain tolerance will be tested using the Cold Pressor Task while listening to vocalisations. Physiological measures will be taken using two techniques: Nociception Level Index and video pupillometry.
Healthy adult population aged 18 to 60 years.Playback ExperimentsTheir pain tolerance will be tested using the Cold Pressor Task while listening to vocalisations. Physiological measures will be taken using two techniques: Nociception Level Index and video pupillometry.
Healthy adult population aged 18 to 60 years.Video-pupillometryTheir pain tolerance will be tested using the Cold Pressor Task while listening to vocalisations. Physiological measures will be taken using two techniques: Nociception Level Index and video pupillometry.
Healthy adult population aged 18 to 60 years.Cold pressor task (CPT)Their pain tolerance will be tested using the Cold Pressor Task while listening to vocalisations. Physiological measures will be taken using two techniques: Nociception Level Index and video pupillometry.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Pain toleranceat inclusion

Delay (in seconds) in removing the hand when testing the Cold Pressor.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Onset of painat inclusion

Participant verbally indicates when he or she begins to feel the sensation of pain (time of onset measured in seconds).

Pain intensityat inclusion

Subjective assessment of maximum pain intensity by participants for a given trial.

Measured by scale of 0 (no pain) at 100 (extreme pain).

Correlation between NOL index and video pupillometry resultsat inclusion

Measurement of the NOL index (index ranging from 0 to 100) and measurement of pupillary diameter and its variations (in mm) in response to nociceptive stimuli by video pupillometry.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire SAINT-ETIENNE

🇫🇷

Saint-Étienne, France

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