Effects of Acute Pain on Cognitive Performance in Young Adults

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Cognition; Pain, Acute
• Interventions: Procedure: distractor delivery with sensory TENS; Procedure: pain delivery with capsaicin and heat

• Registration Number: NCT05625776
• Lead Sponsor: University of Delaware

Brief Summary

The effects of pain on cognitive performance have not been thoroughly investigated. Broadly, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of acute pain on performance of a variety of cognitive performance measures. The investigators hypothesize that acute pain impairs cognitive performance, particularly cognitive measures of working memory, attention, and processing speed.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-11-13
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-11-22
• Study First Posted: 2022-11-23
• Study Start: 2023-03-22
• Primary Completion: 2023-11-16
• Study Completion: 2023-11-16
• Status Verified: 2023-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-12-04
• Last Update Posted: 2023-12-11

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 23

Inclusion Criteria

1. 18-35 years old
2. Self-identifying as generally medically healthy
3. Able to read, write and speak English
4. Able to provide informed consent
5. Willing to undergo the experimental pain or non-painful electrical stimulation, if selected

Exclusion Criteria

1. Resting HR < 50 or > 100 bpm
2. Resting BP < 90/60 or > 140/95 mmHg
3. Any history or current mental health condition, learning/developmental disability or cognitive impairment, including ADD/ADHD, severe anxiety, severe depression, autism spectrum disorder, insomnia, mild cognitive impairment, etc.
4. Score on the MoCA <23
5. Score on the GAD-7 ≥ 10
6. Score on the PHQ-2 ≥ 2 and score on the PHQ-9 ≥ 10
7. Any current (within last 3 month) or chronic medical conditions, including any musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, endocrine, pulmonary, metabolic, psychiatric or neurological diagnosis
8. Any implanted electronic medical devices (i.e., cardiac pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators, spinal cord neurostimulators)
9. Any impaired sensation or weakness in either lower extremity or in the area targeted for the stimulus
10. History of serious concussion or head injury, defined as a loss of consciousness for > 5 minutes and/or requiring medical treatment, or > 2 concussions over the lifespan
11. Any history of acute or chronic problems with balance, any dizziness, or > 1 fall in the last 12 months
12. Taking 4 or more medications
13. Currently or regularly using any analgesic medications, over-the-counter remedies, or any other treatment for the purposes of pain relief (i.e., baby aspirin for heart health permitted, etc.)
14. Any current or chronic pain condition during the last year, located anywhere in the body
15. Allergy to capsaicin or hot peppers
16. Any skin lesion, breakage or irritation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus
17. Skin sensitivity to soaps/creams/perfumes or to heat
18. Poor circulation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus
19. Prior participation in a locomotor learning study in this lab within the last 2 years

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Distractor Somatosensory Stimulus	distractor delivery with sensory TENS	Sensory transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) applied to intact skin
Pain Stimulus	pain delivery with capsaicin and heat	Capsaicin combined with heat applied to intact skin

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Digit Span Forward & Backward Test	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	number of digits (numbers) that can be repeated back in the same (DS forward) or the reverse (DS backward( order from which they were presented
Trail Making Test A & B	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	time required to draw a line connecting a series of numbers (TM-A) or a series of alternating letters and numbers (TM-B)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Hopkins Verbal Learning Test- Revised	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	verbal memory for 3 semantic categories of 4 nouns each; immediate and delayed recall
Brief Visuospatial Memory Test- Revised	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	visual memory for 6 shapes and their location on a page; immediate and delayed recall and recognition
Conner's Continuous Performance Test (CPT) 3	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	response time for letters vs. 'x' stimuli; number of correct inhibited responses
Stroop Test	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	response time and number of errors when stating the name of words printed in a congruent, neutral or incongruent color compared to the meaning of the words
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	number of trials taken to deduce the new rule when the rules of a card game are changed without warning and without knowing what any of the rules are
NIH Toolbox List Sorting	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	recall and sequencing of different visually and orally presented stimuli
NIH Toolbox Flanker	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	response time and errors when asked to focus on a single visual stimulus amongst distractors
Delis Kaplan Executive Functional System (D-KEFS) - Verbal Fluency Section	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	number of words stated that match a certain category or start with a certain letter in a given time period
NIH Toolbox Dimension Change Card Sort	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	errors selecting the correct dimension upon which to select a card, a cue for which is provided
Wechsler 4th ed - Spatial Addition	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	errors and time required to add or subtract the location of circles on a screen based on a given set of rules
NIH Toolbox Picture Sequence	the change between baseline and delivery (during application of intervention)	reproduce the correct sequence of pictures
NIH Toolbox Pattern Comparison	the change between baseline and during application of intervention	errors and time required to determine whether several sets of two pictures are the same or not

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Delaware; 🇺🇸 Newark, Delaware, United States