Mind over muscle: study reveals how pain anticipation alters gait

NCT ID NCT07251387

Recruiting now Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Universite de Picardie Jules Verne Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looks at how the mere expectation of pain can change the way your muscles work together when you walk. Researchers will apply a harmless cream to healthy volunteers and suggest it might cause pain, then measure muscle activity during treadmill walking. The goal is to understand the 'nocebo effect'—where negative expectations cause real physical changes—and how it affects movement.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: neutral cream with verbal suggestions of pain
What this could lead to: If successful, this could help understand how the brain's expectation of pain alters movement, potentially informing treatments for chronic pain or fear of movement.
What could go wrong: This is a very small, early-stage study with only 12 healthy participants, so results may not apply to people with actual pain conditions. The intervention is psychological, not a treatment.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

NOCEBO EFFECT PAIN PAIN ANTICIPATION

Contacts and locations

Locations

Centre de Recherche sur le Vieillissement
RECRUITING

Sherbrooke, Canada
Université de Picardie Jules Verne
RECRUITING

Amiens, France

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