SuspendedNot Applicable

DNIC Using Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence

Stopped: The funding of the study is challenged. We might resume enrollment if new funds are found or will terminate the study.

Canada244 participantsStarted 2022-04-05

Plain-language summary

Chronic pain (CP) is disabling for people triggering important costs for society. A deficit of diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) is one of the CP mechanisms. DNICs are evaluated in research setting using a CPM protocol (conditioned pain modulation). There is a lack of reference values on the effectiveness of DNICs. Wider research on DNIC will help to understand CP and to develop a clinical screening test evaluating DNICs. This study aims more specifically to determine whether it is possible to develop a facial recognition system to automate pain measurement and the effectiveness of pain control mechanisms.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years – 79 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Healthy participants Inclusion Criteria: * 18-79 years old * No chronic pain * Able to provide consent Exclusion Criteria: * Cardiovascular disease (arrhythmia, cerebrovascular accident, infarction...) * Raynaud syndrome * Severe psychiatric disease (dementia, schizophrenia, psychosis, major depression) * Injuries or loss sensitivity to their forearms or hands * Pregnant women or in post-partum period (\<1 year) Participants with chronic pain Inclusion Criteria: * 18-79 years old * Chronic pain (chronic pain is defined by any regular pain for more than 6 months) * Able to provide consent Exclusion Criteria: * Cardiovascular disease (arrhythmia, cerebrovascular accident, infarction...) * Raynaud syndrome * Severe psychiatric disease (dementia, schizophrenia, psychosis, major depression) * Injuries or loss sensitivity to their forearms or hands * Pregnant women or in post-partum period (\<1 year) * Chronic pain caused by cancer or migraine

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) profiles

Timeframe: Once, at baseline, at recruitment (comparison between 1st and 2nd test, after the conditioning stimuli)

Temporal summation profiles

Timeframe: Once, at baseline, at recruitment (during the first stimuli test)

Trial details

NCT IDNCT04896827

SponsorUniversité de Sherbrooke

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeOBSERVATIONAL

Primary completion2028-12

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Chronic Pain trials