Can colored light turn down pain? scientists scan brains to find out
NCT ID NCT07245303
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study investigates how colored light affects pain by scanning the brains of 60 people—half with chronic musculoskeletal pain (like fibromyalgia) and half healthy. Participants will view different light patterns while their brain activity is measured, and some will also receive a pressure pain stimulus. The goal is to understand the brain connections behind light-driven pain relief, not to test a treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- S-cone modulating visual stimulus (colored light)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal how light reduces pain, potentially leading to new non-drug pain relief methods.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage observational study with only 60 participants, focused on brain mechanisms, not treatment. Results may not lead to a practical therapy.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
RECRUITINGChapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States
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