Muscle Synergies in Pain and Pain Anticipation

NCT07251387 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2025-5551-1H
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 34
• Locations: 2 countries
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This study investigates how the anticipation of pain affects muscle synergies. Two groups will be compared: an experimental group, who first experience actual pain from capsaicin cream and are then presented with a harmless cream deceptively labeled as capsaicin, against a control group, who are presented with a harmless cream labeled as potentially painful, without any prior painful experience. The changes in muscle synergies will be measured during walking tasks.

Conditions

Pain; Nocebo Effect; Pain Anticipation

Keywords

Nocebo effect; Pain anticipation; Pain; Gait; Motricity; Muscle synergies

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Distribution of muscle synergies derived by non-negative matrix factorization

  Changes in the activation of the muscle synergies during the gait cycle.

  Before intervention, after intervention (10 minutes after cream application)

• Changes in Muscle Synergy Composition derived by non-negative matrix factorization.

  Changes in the composition of muscle synergies (i.e., the individuals muscles that comform one muscle synergy)

  Before intervention, after intervention (10 minutes after cream application)

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Pain Catastrophizing (PCS)

  Before intervention.

• Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK)

  Before intervention.

• Self-Reported Pain (VAS)

  Before cream application of the cream (pre-intervention) and 10 minutes after cream application (post-intervention).

• Force reactions

  Before intervention, after intervention (10 minutes after cream application)

Study Arms (2)

Prior Experience Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm have experienced capsaicin cream before and will be given a neutral cream. They will be told that the cream contains capsaicin and will cause pain.

Other: Pain expectation conditioning; Other: Gait assesment

Control Group

SHAM COMPARATOR

Pariticpants in this arm have never experienced capsaicin cream before and will be given a neutral cream. They will be told that the cream contains capsaicin and will cause pain.

Other: Pain expectation conditioning; Other: Gait assesment

Interventions

Pain expectation conditioning OTHER

Participants receive a neutral cream with no real harmful effects with verbal and behavioral suggestions that it may cause localized pain. Researchers wear gloves during application and emphasize the potential discomfort, stating effects may intensify with movement.

Control Group; Prior Experience Group

Gait assesment OTHER

Gait will be assessed both before and after cream application. Each assessment will consist of walking on a treadmill at varying speeds while physiological data (EMG) is recorded. Identical questionnaires (VAS, TAMPA, and PCS) will be administered immediately following the first gait assessment.

Control Group; Prior Experience Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18-35 years old
• Healthy participant with no self-reported diagnosed neurological, musculoskeletal, or cardiovascular disorders
• Body Mass Index (BMI) \< 30
• Ability to walk unaided for at least 10 minutes without major physical limitations

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of pain at the time of testing
• Self-reported diagnosed condition affecting mobility
• Known allergy to any component of the study cream
• Allergy to EMG electrode adhesives
• Inability to stand unassisted for more than 1 minute
• Inability to walk/run at the required speed and distance
• Weight exceeding 150 kg (due to treadmill limitations)
• Recent intake (prior intervention) of:
• Analgesics (within 6 hours)
• Cigarettes (within 6 hours)
• Caffeine (within 2 hours)
• Skin lesions at the cream application site
• Pregnancy
• Failure to understand instructions
• Daytime pain reported by participant on day of experimentation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universite de Picardie Jules Verne: lead
• Mitacs: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Centre de Recherche sur le Vieillissement

Sherbrooke, Canada

Location

Université de Picardie Jules Verne

Amiens, France

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Nishi Y, Osumi M, Sumitani M, Yozu A, Morioka S. Kinematic changes in goal-directed movements in a fear-conditioning paradigm. Sci Rep. 2021 May 27;11(1):11162. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-90518-7.

  PMID: 34045515 BACKGROUND

• Horvath A, Koteles F, Szabo A. Nocebo effects on motor performance: A systematic literature review. Scand J Psychol. 2021 Oct;62(5):665-674. doi: 10.1111/sjop.12753. Epub 2021 Jun 18.

  PMID: 34145580 BACKGROUND

• Escalona MJ, Bourbonnais D, Goyette M, Le Flem D, Duclos C, Gagnon DH. Effects of Varying Overground Walking Speeds on Lower-Extremity Muscle Synergies in Healthy Individuals. Motor Control. 2021 Jan 27;25(2):234-251. doi: 10.1123/mc.2020-0008.

  PMID: 33503586 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Thierry Lelard, PhD, HDR

  Lecturer

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Maryne Cozette, PhD, Lecturer

  Lecturer

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Guillaume Léonard, PhD, Lecturer

  Lecturer

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Jennifer Burgos-Tirado, M.Sc.A., Ing.

CONTACT

+33 7 71 27 11 35; jennifer.burgos.tirado@u-picardie.fr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Participants are not aware that a cream applied to them (neutral cream) does not produce any pain.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Researcher - Ph.D student

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 22, 2025
• First Posted: November 26, 2025
• Study Start: January 1, 2026
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2026
• Study Completion: April 1, 2026
• Last Updated: November 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

FR (1); CA (1)