Brain scans aim to unlock secrets of chronic pain in kids
NCT ID NCT05814497
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study uses brain scans (fMRI) and sensory tests to explore how different types of chronic pain affect the brains of children and teens aged 10-17. Researchers hope to find shared and unique brain patterns across conditions like migraines, fibromyalgia, and abdominal pain. The goal is to better understand pain and what helps kids recover, but this is a basic science study, not a treatment trial.
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 help doctors better understand and predict recovery from chronic pain in children, leading to more targeted treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage observational study, not testing a treatment. It may not directly lead to new therapies, and results may not apply to all children with chronic pain.
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
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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
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About 255 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2023
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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10 to 17 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Patients will need a diagnosis of a chronic pain derived congruent with ICD-11 criteria related to headache (migraine, daily headache), abdominal (FAPD), localized MSK (single limb/joint, low back or chest pain), diffuse MSK (widespread MSK pain), or CRPS * If on medications, they need to be on stable doses of prescribed pain and/or psychiatric medications for 4 weeks before the baseline study visit. * Male or female, age 10 -17 (inclusive) * English speaking, able to complete interviews and questionnaires in English Exclusion Criteria: * Weight/size incompatible with MRI scanner * Orthodontic braces, metallic or electronic implants, or other metal objects in the body which obscure or interfere with the MRI, or pose a risk from heating, movement, or malfunction in the MRI environment * Claustrophobia * Youth who are pregnant * Any comorbid rheumatic disease, diagnosis of epilepsy, other neurological diseases, or medical condition (e.g. diabetes, cancer, IBD) * Present psychiatric disease as defined by DSM IV (e.g. psychosis, bipolar disorder, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder), alcohol or drug dependence, or documented developmental delays or impairments (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD, or mental retardation) that, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with adherence to study requirements or safe participation in the study * Skin conditions or past skin damage on the arms or legs in or near sites of sensory testing * Outside the age range (9 years old or younger; 18 years or older) at the time of consent * History of \> 1 month opioid treatment.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cincinnati Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGCincinnati, Ohio, 45229, United States
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