Brain scans reveal how anesthesia affects pain and sound processing
NCT ID NCT02703090
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study used a special brain imaging technique called near-infrared spectroscopy to see how the brain responds to pain and sounds while people are under general anesthesia. 44 healthy volunteers aged 12-30 were given either a painkiller (remifentanil) or a placebo. The goal was to measure changes in blood flow in brain areas involved in sensing pain and hearing. This research aims to better understand how the brain processes these signals when a person is unconscious.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Remifentanil (painkiller) and normal saline (placebo)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors better understand how the brain processes pain during anesthesia, potentially leading to improved pain management during surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, not patients. The results may not apply to real surgical settings or people with medical conditions.
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
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44 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2016
- Finished
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Mar 2020
- 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
-
12 to 30 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 12-30 years of age * Structurally normal heart * Right-handed * English-speaking Exclusion Criteria: * Unable to cooperate or understand the study * Neurologic disease * Diabetes mellitus * Syndrome of greater than minor severity. * Smoker * Scalp or hair does not permit sufficient optical light detection * Unable to keep his/her head still for a period of 200 consecutive seconds
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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
Locations
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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