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Brain scans reveal how imagining acupuncture may rewire pain pathways

NCT ID NCT03046030

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 21, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study investigates how watching guided acupuncture videos changes brain activity in healthy adults. Participants receive real acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or video-guided imagery while undergoing fMRI scans. The goal is to understand the brain mechanisms behind mind-body interactions and imagery, which could inform future pain treatments.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT), real acupuncture, and sham acupuncture
What this could lead to
If successful, this research could reveal how the brain processes imagery and acupuncture, potentially informing new non-drug approaches for pain management.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage mechanistic study in healthy volunteers, not a treatment trial. Results may not translate to pain patients or clinical practice.

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

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

27 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jan 2017

Finished

Aug 2017

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Right handed healthy male and female adults aged 18-60 * No contraindications to fMRI scanning Exclusion Criteria: * Current or past history of major medical, neurological, or psychiatric illness * Any pain disorder * Pregnancy * Non-fluent speaker of English

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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

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Massachusetts General Hospital

    Charlestown, Massachusetts, 02129, United States

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