Mind over muscle: study reveals how pain anticipation alters gait
NCT ID NCT07251387
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.
Disclaimer
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the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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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
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Study contacts
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Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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Centre de Recherche sur le Vieillissement
RECRUITINGSherbrooke, Canada
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
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Université de Picardie Jules Verne
RECRUITINGAmiens, France
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••