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Brain scans reveal why quitting smoking hurts more for chronic pain sufferers

NCT ID NCT06983678

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Duke University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looks at how quitting smoking temporarily increases pain in people with chronic pain, and how the brain processes this. Researchers will use brain scans and daily reports from 132 smokers—some with chronic back pain, some without—to understand these changes. The goal is to find ways to help people with chronic pain quit smoking more successfully.

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 guide the development of better smoking-cessation programs tailored for people with chronic pain.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not directly lead to new therapies, and results may not apply to all smokers 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

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 132 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Nov 2025

Expected to finish

Mar 2030

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

21 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. History of chronic non-cancer low back pain with duration ≥ 6 months OR no history of chronic pain; 2. age 21-65; 3. smoking of at least 10 cig/day for \> 2 years; 4. have an iPhone or Android smartphone capable of running the EMA software Exclusion Criteria: 1. pain complaint specifically due to cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, or complex regional pain syndrome; 2. actively taking steps to quit smoking; 3. inability to attend all required experimental sessions; 4. significant health problems, such as chronic hypertension, emphysema, seizure disorder, history of significant heart problems; 5. conditions that would make MRI scanning unsafe (e.g., metal implants, claustrophobia) 6. use of opioids within the past 90 days 7. past year alcohol or substance use disorder 8. positive urine test for illegal drugs (other than marijuana); 9. daily use of alcohol or marijuana; 10. lifetime history of psychotic disorder, or current unstable psychiatric disorder; 11. regular use of non-cigarette tobacco products or electronic cigarettes; 12. major surgery within the past 6 months or planned surgery within the timeframe of the study; 13. breath alcohol level \> 0.0 (participants failing for BAL will be allowed to rescreen once); 14. recently quit smoking for \> 3 days; 15. pregnancy or planning to become pregnant; 16. any factors that at the discretion of the investigators would adversely affect the participant or integrity of the study (e.g., ongoing legal action or disability claim regarding pain, uncontrolled psychiatric disorder, head/neck injury, use of certain medications)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Chronic Pain chronic pain syndrome nicotine dependence Tobacco Use

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Chronic pain Tobacco use

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. 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

  • Duke North Pavilion

    RECRUITING

    Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States

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