Can cold also turn off pain? new study investigates
NCT ID NCT07395869
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study will test whether a phenomenon called 'offset analgesia'—where pain briefly increases then drops sharply—can be triggered by cold temperatures, not just heat. Researchers will also map where pain and itch receptors are located on the body. Thirty healthy adults aged 18-60 will participate, rating their sensations on a scale. The goal is to better understand how pain and itch work, which could inform future treatments.
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 improve understanding of how the body processes pain and itch, potentially guiding future pain treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, not patients. Results may not apply to real-world pain 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
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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 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Feb 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
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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18 to 60 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: * Healthy men and women * 18-60 years * Speak and understand English Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy or lactation * Drug addiction defined as any use of cannabis, opioids, or other drugs * Previous or current history of neurological, immunological, musculoskeletal, cardiac disorder or psychiatric diagnoses that may affect the results (e.g., neuropathy, muscular pain in the upper extremities, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, etc.) * Moles, wounds, scars, or tattoos in the area to be treated or tested * Current use of medications that may affect the trial such as antihistamines and pain killers * Skin diseases * Consumption of alcohol or painkillers 24 hours before the study days and between these * Acute or chronic pain and itch * Participation in other trials within 1 week of study entry (4 weeks in the case of pharmaceutical studies) * Contraindications to capsaicin, including intolerance to chili or burns or wounds at the application site (sub-project 4 only) * The subject is assessed as unable to engage in the necessary cooperation required by the study
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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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Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University Selma Lagerløfs Vej 249 9260 Gistrup, Denmark
Aalborg, Aalborg, 9620, Denmark
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