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Can a fake numbing shot fool patients? scientists find out

NCT ID NCT06668116

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Balgrist University Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested different dilutions of a numbing drug (ropivacaine) on 17 healthy volunteers to find a dose that feels like a real nerve block but doesn't actually relieve pain. The goal is to create a convincing placebo for future research, so scientists can run fair tests on whether nerve blocks truly help with pain. The study is complete and focused on improving how we design pain trials.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
ropivacaine
What this could lead to
If successful, this could enable better placebo-controlled trials to accurately measure the true effects of nerve blocks for pain management.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study on healthy volunteers, not patients. The placebo solution may not work as well in 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

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

17 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2024

Finished

Oct 2025

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 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show 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: * ASA I - II, both sexes * ≥ 18 years old * \< 65 years old * Written informed consent as documented by signature Exclusion Criteria: * Known allergy or hypersensitivity to a ropivacaine, amide local anesthetics or ultrasound gel * Any history of chronic or acute pain at the moment of enrollment into the study * Treatment with any substance having a relation to pain or pain modulation (antidepressants, opioids, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants) * Intake of any analgesic 48 hours prior to the conduction of any of the study stages * Severe coagulopathy * History of cardiovascular disease * History of alcohol abuse or the intake of psychotropic drugs * Pregnancy, ruled out by history * Infection at the injection site or a systemic infection * Fever of unknown origin * Motor or sensory abnormalities in the arm * Previous enrollment into the current study

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Healthy

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Balgrist University Hospital

    Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8008, Switzerland

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