Mechanisms of Affective Touch in Chronic Pain

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Fibromyalgia

In brief

This study compares how different types of touch found in massage therapies impact pain perception, and whether these effects differ in individuals with and without chronic pain. This study also examines psychological factors that may predict differences in touch perception in individuals with chronic pain. This research will improve our understanding of whether and how massage therapies can benefit pain and health, and whether this differs in people who suffer from chronic pain.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT04206397

Run by

Laura Case

People needed

80

Starts

2021-09-15

Expected to finish

2024-10-23

Last updated by the study team

2025-10-02

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• ages 18-65
• fluent in English
• physician diagnosis of Fibromyalgia but no other chronic pain conditions (patients) or no evidence of chronic pain (healthy volunteers)

You may not qualify if…

• Sensory, motor, or anatomic differences or injuries relevant to study procedures
• Known anomalies of the central nervous system (including stroke, dementia, aneurysm, or personal history of psychosis)
• Pregnancy
• Inability to rate pain or sensations
• Major medical conditions such as kidney, liver, cardiovascular (hypertension, preexisting cardiac arrhythmia), autonomic, pulmonary, or neurological problems (e.g., seizure disorder) or a chronic systemic disease (e.g., diabetes).
• History of blood clots or first-degree family members with clotting disorders
• Current use of opiate medication(s)
• Contraindications to MRI if participating in pilot MRI study
• Unable to identify a heat stimulus 50C or lower that generates a rating of a 7 on our VAS scale
• History of fainting or seizures
• History of frostbite
• Open cut or sore on hand to be immersed in cold water bath
• Fracture of limb to be immersed
• History of Reynaud's phenomenon (hands get white, then blue on exposure to cold, then red on warming)

Where it is running

• ACTRI — La Jolla, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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