Does fear of pain change your walk?
NCT ID NCT06929559
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether the anticipation of pain can change how people walk and how their bodies respond. Healthy volunteers aged 18-35 will have a cream applied that they are told might cause pain, while researchers measure their walking patterns, heart rate, and skin responses. The goal is to understand the nocebo effect—how negative expectations can influence physical performance—without testing any treatment.
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
-
About 34 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
-
Oct 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 35 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * Aged 18-35 years * Healthy participant with no self-reported diagnosed neurological, musculoskeletal, or cardiovascular disorders * Body Mass Index (BMI) \< 30 * Ability to walk unaided for at least 10 minutes without major physical limitations Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of pain at the time of testing * Self-reported diagnosed condition affecting mobility * Known allergy to any component of the study cream * Allergy to EMG electrode adhesives * Inability to stand unassisted for more than 1 minute * Inability to walk/run at the required speed and distance * Weight exceeding 150 kg (due to treadmill limitations) * Recent intake of: * Analgesics (within 6 hours) * Cigarettes (within 6 hours) * Caffeine (within 2 hours) * Skin lesions at the cream application site * Pregnancy * Failure to understand instructions * Daytime pain reported by participant on day of experimentation
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Nocebo effect are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
Université de Picardie Jules Verne
RECRUITINGAmiens, France
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.