Effect of Prayer on Conditioned Pain Modulation and on Pain Intensity in Healthy Religious University Students

NCT04614272 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: charbel najem
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 208
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

With this study the investigators wish to examine the effect of prayer on pain intensity and on the conditioned pain modulation in healthy religious university students.

Conditions

Healthy Subjects

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• change in conditioned pain modulation (CPM)

  the conditioned pain modulation paradigm (pressure pain threshold using a digital algometer as test stimulus and the heat pressor test (immersion of one hand in hot water of 45.5°C) as conditioning stimulus

  Measured prior to intervention (baseline=day 1) and immediate following the intervention (=day 1)

• change in pain intensity

  numeric rating scale from 0 to 100 where 0 is no pain and 100 is the worst pain imaginable

  Measured prior to intervention (baseline=day 1) and immediate following the intervention (=day 1)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• The Duke University Religion Index

  religiosity is assessed at baseline

• Prayer function scale

  the prayer function scale is assessed at baseline

Study Arms (3)

active prayer group

EXPERIMENTAL

the active prayer group will mediate over an active type of prayer

Behavioral: Prayer

passive prayer group

EXPERIMENTAL

the passive prayer group will mediate over a passive type of prayer

Behavioral: Prayer

control group

SHAM COMPARATOR

the control group will read a poem

Behavioral: Reading a poem

Interventions

Prayer BEHAVIORAL

Prayer is a non-pharmaceutical method of pain management and a form of alternative medicine.

active prayer group; passive prayer group

Reading a poem BEHAVIORAL

Reading is a distraction tool for pain management

control group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy female.
• Healthy male.
• University students
• Religious participants who would score at least two over six on the Non Organizational Religious Activities subscale of the Duke University Religious Index.

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnant women.
• Individuals with chronic pain.
• Individuals with psychiatric disease.
• Individuals suffering from headache for more than 2 days a month.
• Individuals with high blood pressure.
• Individuals under regular use of medication.
• Individuals who would score 1 or 0 on the on the Non Organizational Religious Activities subscale of the Duke University Religious Index.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Antonine University: lead
• University Ghent: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Antonine University

Beirut, Lebanon

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Faith Healing

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Spiritual Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics

Study Officials

• Mira Meeus, Phd

  University Ghent

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: while assessing for endogenous pain inhibition and pain intensity the assessor will be blind and will not know to which group the participant belong. Participants will be blinded by being blind to the study hypothesis.
• Purpose: SCREENING
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: assisstant professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 20, 2020
• First Posted: November 3, 2020
• Study Start: November 1, 2020
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2021
• Study Completion: February 1, 2021
• Last Updated: September 5, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

LE (1)