Brain zap and ice water test could unlock secrets of pain
NCT ID NCT06726018
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at how the brain naturally turns down pain signals, a process called conditioned pain modulation (CPM). Researchers will use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to measure brain activity and apply mild pain (pressure, heat, cold) to 75 healthy adults. They also want to see if factors like optimism, stress, and cultural background affect pain control. This is not a treatment trial—it aims to understand pain mechanisms better.
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 research could reveal how the brain's pain-control pathways work and how factors like stress and optimism affect them, pointing toward better ways to prevent or treat chronic pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, not patients. It measures brain activity and pain responses, not a treatment. Results may not apply to people 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 75 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- 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 75 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: * pain-free * between 18-75 years old. Exclusion Criteria: Participants will not be excluded based on race or gender but will be excluded if they meet any of the following: * non-English speaking * systemic medical condition is known to affect sensation * regular use of prescription pain medication to manage pain * current or history of chronic pain condition * currently using blood thinning medication * any blood clotting disorder such as hemophilia * any contraindication to the application of ice or cold packs, such as uncontrolled hypertension, cold urticaria, cryoglobulinemia, paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, and circulatory compromise * involved in vigorous physical activities like heavy lifting, digging, aerobics or fast bicycling * metal in the head or eyes, pacemakers, shunts, or lines, history of craniotomy, history of focal seizures * Migraine and persistent headaches.
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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
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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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Department of Physical Therapy and Movement Science, University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, Texas, 79902, United States
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