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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00314392

Gender, Pain, and Placebo Analgesia

The response to standard pain stimuli in males and females is investigated, together with the effect of informing participants about the effect of a painkiller. Physiological response to pain is recorded.

Completed

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Key information

Conditions

Experimental Pain

Age range

18 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University Hospital of North Norway

Tromsø, Troms, N-9038, Norway

About this study

The social context in which pain is reported has been found to modulate pain. Specifically, male participants reporting pain to female observers report significantly lower pain levels compared to male participants reporting to male observers. Female participants seem less affected by social context. This is a methodological problem in the study of pain and has consequences in the development of new drugs, and for pain research in general.

The present study has two aims: To investigate whether social context affects also the placebo response to pain, i.e. the reduced pain often observed after administration of a an inert substance the participants believes to be a painkiller. It is hypothesized that placebo analgesia will be larger in males reporting pain to females. Secondly, heart rate variability and skin conductance, measures of parasympathetic and sympathetic activity, will be recorded, to investigate if social context affects not only pain report, but also pain response.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18-40 years, healthy

Exclusion criteria

  • pregnant, earlier serious disease or injury,

Treatment and study plan

Information (behavior)

Behavioral

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain report, heart rate variability, skin conductance

Secondary outcomes

  1. Subjective arousal

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital of North Norway

Other

Collaborators

  • The Research Council of Norway
  • University of Tromso

Registry information

Official study title

Effect of Participant Gender, Experimenter Gender, and Drug-Related Information on Placebo Analgesia

Important dates

Study start
2006
Study completion
2007
First posted
Apr 13, 2006
Registry last updated
Feb 6, 2008

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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