The Role of the Opioid System in Placebo Effects on Pain and Social Rejection

Starting soon · Early Phase 1 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Pain, Rejection, Placebo Effect

In brief

The current study probes the involvement of the opioid system in placebo effects on social pain, using the opioid antagonist naloxone. 60 participants who recently experienced an unwanted breakup will experience rejection-related stimuli and receive painful heat and pressure stimuli during fMRI scanning. Participants will be randomized to receive either a naloxone or saline nasal spray, and be informed that the spray is either saline, or an effective pain and negative emotion reducing agent.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT04650841

Run by

Trustees of Dartmouth College

People needed

60

Starts

2026-09-01

Expected to finish

2027-03-01

Last updated by the study team

2025-12-09

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 55. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Adults aged 18-55 years
• No current psychiatric or major neurological diagnosis
• No reported substance abuse within the last six months
• Are capable of performing experimental tasks (e.g., are able to read, able to cooperate with fMRI examination)
• Are fluent or native speakers of English
• No current or recent history of pathological pain or reported neurological disorders.
• Having abstained from alcohol and substance use for 48 hours
• Passed fMRI safety screener
• Experienced a recent unwanted breakup of a romantic relationship

You may not qualify if…

• Current presence of pain
• Current or past history of primary psychiatric disorder
• Current or past history of psychoactive substance abuse or dependence
• Dementias
• Movement disorders except familial tremor
• CNS infection
• CNS vasculitis, inflammatory disease or autoimmune disease
• CNS demyelinating disease (e.g. multiple sclerosis)
• Space occupying lesions (mass lesions, tumors)
• Congenital CNS abnormality (e.g. cerebral palsy)
• Seizure disorder
• History of closed head trauma with loss of consciousness
• History of cerebrovascular disease (stroke, TIAs)
• Abnormal MRI (except changes accounted for by technical factors or UBOs)
• Neuroendocrine disorder (e.g., Cushings disease)
• Uncorrected hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
• Current or past history of cancer; Recent history (within two years) of myocardial infarction, severe cardiovascular disease, or currently active cardiovascular disease (e.g. angina, cardiomyopathy)
• Uncontrolled hypertension or hypotension
• Chronic pain syndromes
• Chronic fatigue syndromes
• Subjects unable to tolerate the scanning procedures (e.g., claustrophobia)
• Prior treatment within the last month with any of the following: antidepressants, mood stabilizers, glucocorticoids, opiates
• Prior treatment with any of the following: antipsychotics, isoniazid, centrally active antihypertensive drugs (e.g. clonidine, reserpine)
• Metal in body or prior history working with metal fragments (e.g., as a machinist)
• For women, pregnancy

Where it is running

• Dartmouth College — Hanover, New Hampshire, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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