Neural Correlates of Hypoalgesia Driven by Observation

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE · Mar 29, 2019

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how observing others can affect our perception of pain and potentially reduce it. Researchers want to understand the brain processes involved when we watch someone else in pain or receiving treatment and how this might help us feel better ourselves. By using advanced brain imaging techniques, they will explore how these observations can trigger pain relief and improve overall well-being. This could be especially important for finding safer ways to manage pain without relying heavily on medications, like opioids.

To participate in this trial, you need to be between 18 and 55 years old and speak English. However, there are some health conditions that would make you ineligible, such as certain heart or brain disorders, chronic pain, severe mental health issues, or recent substance abuse. If you join the study, you can expect to undergo brain scans while you observe different scenarios designed to test how your brain responds to pain. This research could lead to better pain management strategies in the future, and your participation could contribute to valuable findings in this area.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age (18-55 years old)
• • English speaker (written and spoken)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Cardiovascular, neurological diseases, pulmonary abnormalities, kidney disease, liver disease, degenerative neuromuscular disease, or history of cancer within past 3 years
• • Any history of chronic pain disorder or currently in pain
• • Severe psychiatric condition (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, mania, autism) and /or psychiatric condition leading to treatment and/or hospitalization within the last 3 years.
• • Personal history of mania, schizophrenia, or other psychoses
• • Nasal Polyps
• • Chronic intranasal drug use ( e.g., intranasal decongestants; antihistamines)
• • Lifetime alcohol/drug dependence, or alcohol/drug abuse in past 3 months
• • Use of antidepressants, ADHD medication, non-over-the-counter painkillers, methadone, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and/or narcotics during the past 3 months
• • Pregnancy or breast feeding
• • Color-blindness
• • Impaired, uncorrected hearing
• • Left handed
• • Allergies or sensitivities to creams, lotions, or food coloring
• • Any non-organic implant or any non-removable metal device (e.g., pacemaker, cochlear implants, stents, surgical clips, non-removable piercings)
• • Any prior eye injury or the potential of a foreign body in the eye (e.g., worked in metal fields)
• • Persistent functional impairment due to a head trauma
• • Fear of closed spaces
• • Any other contraindications for MRI (e.g., large tattoos on head and neck)
• • Previously participated in other "Pain Perception in the Brain" Studies in Colloca lab Failed drug test (testing for opiates, cocaine, methamphetamines, amphetamines, and THC)