Pain-Related Fear and Motor Control in Healthy Volunteers (NCT07636603) | Clinical Trial Compass
Active — Not RecruitingNot Applicable
Pain-Related Fear and Motor Control in Healthy Volunteers
France26 participantsStarted 2025-11-03
Plain-language summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how experimentally induced movement-related threat affects emotional, autonomic, and motor responses in healthy adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does movement-related threat change walking performance or upper-limb pointing movements? Are these effects moderated by participants' level of kinesiophobia? Does movement-related threat increase apprehension or alter heart rate variability responses?
Participants will complete two experimental conditions during one session: a control condition and an experimental condition. In both conditions, inactive transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation electrodes will be placed in the lumbar region. In the experimental condition, participants will receive verbal suggestions about discomfort, movement-evoked pain, and potential unpredictable electrical stimulation to create the threat of pain associated with movement. Participants will complete a baseline assessment of kinesiophobia, followed by walking and pointing tasks, while perceived apprehension and autonomic responses are assessed.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years – 65 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.
Inclusion Criteria:
* Age between 18 and 65 years.
* Ability to understand the experimental instructions and questionnaires.
* No pain at inclusion and during the last 3 months.
* Abstinence from short-term analgesics for 2 hours before testing.
* Abstinence from coffee and cigarette smoking for 6 hours before testing.
Exclusion Criteria:
* History of chronic pain.
* Motor, neurological, or sensory disorders.
* Cardiovascular conditions likely to affect physiological measurements.
* Clinically significant depressive symptoms or anxiety scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
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.
1This study is testing how pain-related fear affects walking speed, cadence, stride length, and arm movement — since I deal with fear of movement myself, is there any reason my doctor thinks my specific situation could make participating in this kind of motor control experiment risky or uncomfortable for me?
2The trial is listed as 'active not recruiting,' which means they're no longer enrolling new participants — should I ask the research team directly whether that status might change, or is my doctor aware of similar ongoing studies I could look into instead?
3Since this is a Phase NA study involving healthy volunteers and electrode conditions, can my doctor help me understand what the electrodes are actually doing in this experiment and whether someone with my health history would have been considered eligible in the first place?
4This trial seems focused on understanding the science behind fear of movement rather than treating it — given that, does my doctor think there are existing therapies, like graded exposure or cognitive-behavioral approaches, that already address kinesiophobia and might be worth pursuing while research like this is still ongoing?
5Because the study measures differences in how people move under different electrode conditions, can my doctor explain what that kind of research might eventually mean for treatment, and how far away practical applications from studies like this typically are?
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
1
Difference in walking speed between the control electrode and experimental electrode conditions
Timeframe: Day 1, during the walking task under each randomized electrode condition
2
Difference in walking cadence between the control electrode and experimental electrode conditions
Timeframe: Day 1, during the walking task under each randomized electrode condition
3
Difference in walking stride length between the control electrode and experimental electrode conditions
Timeframe: Day 1, during the walking task under each randomized electrode condition
4
Difference in upper-limb pointing movement time between the control electrode and experimental electrode conditions
Timeframe: Day 1, during the upper-limb pointing task under each randomized electrode condition