Can watching someone get better make you feel less pain?

NCT ID NCT04646460

Not yet recruiting Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Trustees of Dartmouth College Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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

Summary

This study looks at how seeing someone else benefit from a placebo treatment, along with your own past experiences, can influence the placebo effect. Researchers will use brain scans (fMRI) to understand these effects in 120 healthy adults. The goal is to learn what makes placebos work better and last longer, which could help improve pain relief in the future.

What this could mean

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

What this could lead to: If successful, this could reveal how to boost placebo effects in real treatments, potentially improving pain management without drugs.
What could go wrong: This is an early-stage, small study (120 participants) focused on understanding mechanisms, not testing a treatment. Results may not translate to clinical practice.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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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.

PAIN PLACEBO EFFECT

Contacts and locations

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Study contacts

Contact

Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States

Contact Email: •••••@•••••

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