Mechanistic Studies on Video-guided Acupuncture Imagery Treatment of Pain

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Pain
• Interventions: Other: Real acupuncture; Other: Sham acupuncture; Other: VGAIT; Other: VGAIT control

• Registration Number: NCT03046030
• Lead Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital

Brief Summary

The aim of this proposal is to investigate brain response and connectivity changes evoked by video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT) and verum and sham acupuncture in healthy and patient populations to elucidate the underlying brain mechanisms of mind-body interaction, imagery, and acupuncture.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2017-01
• Study First Submitted: 2017-01-27
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-02-03
• Study First Posted: 2017-02-08
• Status Verified: 2020-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-02-24
• Last Update Posted: 2020-02-25
• Primary Completion: 2021-06
• Study Completion: 2021-06

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

• Right handed healthy male and female adults aged 18-60
• No contraindications to fMRI scanning

Exclusion Criteria

• Current or past history of major medical, neurological, or psychiatric illness
• Any pain disorder
• Pregnancy
• Non-fluent speaker of English

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Healthy Volunteers	VGAIT control	In this experiment, we will apply a crossover design in healthy subjects. Each subject will receive four treatments in four separate sessions: 1) VGAIT, 2) VGAIT control condition, 3) real acupuncture, and 4) sham acupuncture. Each session will be separated by at least 7 days. Subjects will participate in five experimental sessions: a training and familiarity behavioral session and four fMRI sessions during which the subject will receive one of the four treatments.
Healthy Volunteers	Real acupuncture	In this experiment, we will apply a crossover design in healthy subjects. Each subject will receive four treatments in four separate sessions: 1) VGAIT, 2) VGAIT control condition, 3) real acupuncture, and 4) sham acupuncture. Each session will be separated by at least 7 days. Subjects will participate in five experimental sessions: a training and familiarity behavioral session and four fMRI sessions during which the subject will receive one of the four treatments.
Healthy Volunteers	Sham acupuncture	In this experiment, we will apply a crossover design in healthy subjects. Each subject will receive four treatments in four separate sessions: 1) VGAIT, 2) VGAIT control condition, 3) real acupuncture, and 4) sham acupuncture. Each session will be separated by at least 7 days. Subjects will participate in five experimental sessions: a training and familiarity behavioral session and four fMRI sessions during which the subject will receive one of the four treatments.
Healthy Volunteers	VGAIT	In this experiment, we will apply a crossover design in healthy subjects. Each subject will receive four treatments in four separate sessions: 1) VGAIT, 2) VGAIT control condition, 3) real acupuncture, and 4) sham acupuncture. Each session will be separated by at least 7 days. Subjects will participate in five experimental sessions: a training and familiarity behavioral session and four fMRI sessions during which the subject will receive one of the four treatments.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
fMRI signal increases	4 days; Sessions 2-5

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Massachusetts General Hospital; 🇺🇸 Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States