Does pain mess with your walk? new study investigates
NCT ID NCT07054840
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at how short-term pain affects the ability of older adults to learn and remember a new way of walking. Researchers will apply a cream with capsaicin (the stuff that makes chili peppers hot) and a heat pack to one leg to create temporary pain. Participants will walk on a treadmill with belts moving at different speeds, and their step patterns will be measured. The goal is to understand how pain impacts motor learning and memory, which could inform future therapies for older adults.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Capsaicin 0.1% cream
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help design better rehabilitation programs for older adults recovering from injuries or dealing with pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 34 participants, focused on understanding basic mechanisms rather than testing a treatment. 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 34 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2025
- Expected to finish
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May 2026
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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55 to 90 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Age 55-90 years old * Self-identifying as generally medically healthy * Able to read, write and speak English * Able to provide informed consent and attend all testing sessions * Willing to undergo the experimental pain paradigm, if selected Exclusion Criteria: * Resting heart rate \< 50 or \> 100 bpm * Resting blood pressure \< 90/60 or \> 165/95 * Any history or current mental health condition, learning/developmental disability or cognitive impairment, including severe untreated ADD/ADHD, severe untreated anxiety, severe untreated depression, autism spectrum disorder, insomnia, mild cognitive impairment, etc. (Mild to moderate treated ADD/ADHD, anxiety, and/or depression are allowed.) * Score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) \<23 * Score on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale ≥ 10 * Score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 ≥ 2 and score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 ≥ 10 * Any current (within last 3 month) or chronic medical conditions, including any musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, psychiatric or neurological diagnosis that affects activities of daily living or would confound testing or place the subject at risk by participating, such as a significant cardiovascular condition or event (e.g., heart attack \< 3 months ago, uncontrolled atrial fibrillation, uncontrolled angina, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or peripheral vascular disease) * Any impaired sensation or weakness in either lower extremity * History of serious concussion or head injury, defined as a loss of consciousness for \> 5 minutes and/or requiring medical treatment, or \> 2 concussions over the lifespan * Any history of acute or chronic problems with balance, any dizziness, or \> 1 fall in the last 12 months * Currently or regularly using any analgesic medications, over-the-counter remedies, or any other treatment for the purposes of pain relief (i.e., baby aspirin for heart health is allowed) * Any current or chronic pain condition during the last year, located anywhere in the body with an intensity of \> 2/10 * Allergy to capsaicin or hot peppers * Any skin lesion, breakage or irritation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus * Significant skin sensitivity to soaps/creams/perfumes or to heat * Poor circulation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus * Prior participation in a split-belt locomotor learning study in the Neuromotor Behavior Lab in the past 2 years
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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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Health Sciences Complex
RECRUITINGNewark, Delaware, 19713, United States
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