Effects of Acute Pain on Motor Learning in Young vs Older Adults

NCT05471557 | Completed DMC

• 2 other identifiers: 1786370-1.1R01AG071585
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 61
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

To date, the effects of pain on motor learning have not been thoroughly investigated, particularly in older adults. Broadly, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of acute pain on locomotor learning and its retention in older adults. The investigators hypothesize that acute pain impairs retention of locomotor learning in young and older adults and that in older adults, these deficits are worsened and are related to the degree of normal age-related cognitive decline.

Conditions

Pain, Acute; Motor Activity; Aging; Cognitive Decline

Keywords

Acute pain; Adults; Cognition; Elderly; Learning; Memory; Pain; Cognitive ability; Motor learning; Young adults; Older Adults; Gait; Locomotion; Walking; Motor Consolidation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Motor Retention Magnitude

  degree to which the learned locomotor pattern has been remembered (in step length % change, normalized to the amount learned from day 1)

  24 hours post learning (day 2)

• Motor Learning Magnitude

  degree to which the new locomotor pattern has been acquired (in step length % change)

  immediately after learning (day 1)

• Digit Span Backward Test

  number of digits (numbers) that can be repeated back in the reverse order from which they were presented

  the change between baseline and during application of intervention

• Digit Span Forward Test

  number of digits (numbers) that can be repeated back in the same order as they were presented

  the change between baseline and during application of intervention

Study Arms (2)

Pain Stimulus

EXPERIMENTAL

Capsaicin combined with heat applied to intact skin

Procedure: pain delivery

No Stimulus

NO INTERVENTION

Nothing applied to skin

Interventions

pain delivery PROCEDURE

Experimental pain paradigm delivered that is short-term and painful but not harmful.

Pain Stimulus

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 85 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• (YA group only) or 55-85 (OA group only) years old
• Sex-matched to a participant in the OA group (YA group only)
• Self-identifying as generally medically healthy
• Able to read, write and speak English
• Able to provide informed consent and attend all testing sessions
• Willing to undergo the experimental pain or non-painful electrical stimulation, if selected

You may not qualify if:

• Resting HR \< 50 or \> 100 bpm
• Resting BP \< 90/60 or \> 140/95 mmHg (YA group only) or \> 165/95 (OA group only)
• Any history or current mental health condition, learning/developmental disability or cognitive impairment, including severe untreated ADD/ADHD, severe untreated anxiety, severe untreated depression, autism spectrum disorder, insomnia, mild cognitive impairment, etc.
• Score on the MoCA \<23
• Score on the GAD-7 ≥ 10
• Score on the PHQ-2 ≥ 2 and score on the PHQ-9 ≥ 10
• Any current (within last 3 month) or chronic medical conditions, including any musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, endocrine, pulmonary, metabolic, psychiatric or neurological diagnosis that (for OA group only) affects activities of daily living or would confound testing or place the subject at risk by participating, such as a significant cardiovascular condition or event (e.g., heart attack \< 3 months ago, uncontrolled atrial fibrillation, uncontrolled angina, or congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, peripheral vascular disease)
• Any impaired sensation or weakness in either lower extremity or in the area targeted for the stimulus
• History of serious concussion or head injury, defined as a loss of consciousness for \> 5 minutes and/or requiring medical treatment, or \> 2 concussions over the lifespan
• Any history of acute or chronic problems with balance, any dizziness, or \> 1 fall in the last 12 months
• Taking 4 or more medications (YA group only)
• Currently or regularly using any analgesic medications, over-the-counter remedies, or any other treatment for the purposes of pain relief (i.e., baby aspirin for heart health permitted, etc.)
• Any current or chronic pain condition during the last year, located anywhere in the body with a (OA group only) pain intensity of \> 2/10
• Allergy to capsaicin or hot peppers
• Any skin lesion, breakage or irritation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Aging (NIA): collaborator
• University of Delaware: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware, 19713, United States

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Patel KV, Guralnik JM, Dansie EJ, Turk DC. Prevalence and impact of pain among older adults in the United States: findings from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study. Pain. 2013 Dec;154(12):2649-2657. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.029.

  PMID: 24287107 BACKGROUND

• Whitlock EL, Diaz-Ramirez LG, Glymour MM, Boscardin WJ, Covinsky KE, Smith AK. Association Between Persistent Pain and Memory Decline and Dementia in a Longitudinal Cohort of Elders. JAMA Intern Med. 2017 Aug 1;177(8):1146-1153. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.1622.

  PMID: 28586818 BACKGROUND

• Higgins DM, Martin AM, Baker DG, Vasterling JJ, Risbrough V. The Relationship Between Chronic Pain and Neurocognitive Function: A Systematic Review. Clin J Pain. 2018 Mar;34(3):262-275. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000536.

  PMID: 28719507 BACKGROUND

• Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2011. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK91497/

  PMID: 22553896 BACKGROUND

• van der Leeuw G, Leveille SG, Dong Z, Shi L, Habtemariam D, Milberg W, Hausdorff JM, Grande L, Gagnon P, McLean RR, Bean JF. Chronic Pain and Attention in Older Community-Dwelling Adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018 Jul;66(7):1318-1324. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15413. Epub 2018 Jun 6.

  PMID: 29876923 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Acute Pain; Cognitive Dysfunction; Motor Activity; Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Cognition Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders; Behavior

Study Officials

• Susanne M Morton, PhD

  University of Delaware

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Application of pain or no stimulus cannot be masked from participants, nor from outcomes assessors.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 17, 2022
• First Posted: July 25, 2022
• Study Start: August 20, 2024
• Primary Completion: June 5, 2025
• Study Completion: June 5, 2025
• Last Updated: December 10, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Locations

US (1)