Does Placebo Information Affect the Trial Outcomes and Participant Blinding?
Condition: Muscle Soreness
MeSH terms: Myalgia
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This is a randomised sham-controlled trial involving healthy volunteers to determine the
      effect of information on placebo, i.e., sham acupuncture, given in the informed consent, on
      the trial outcomes and blinding status of participants in a trial.
    

Detailed description: 
      A total of 89 healthy volunteers will be recruited and randomly allocated to one of the 4
      groups at an identical ratio. Four groups differ in acupuncture and placebo information. It
      is summarized as follows:

        1. to receive real acupuncture and to read fully disclosed sham acupuncture information
           (e.g., fake acupuncture) written in the informed consent

        2. to receive real acupuncture and to read partially disclosed sham acupuncture information
           (e.g., different kind of acupuncture) written in the informed consent

        3. to receive sham acupuncture (Park Sham Needle) and to read fully disclosed sham
           acupuncture information written in the informed consent

        4. to receive sham acupuncture to read partially disclosed sham acupuncture information
           (e.g., different kind of acupuncture) written in the informed consent.

      They will read informed consent with differently described placebo information following
      their allocation. After participants repeatedly lift a dumbbell with their non-dominant arm
      to induce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in their biceps brachii, they are given
      allocated acupuncture treatment once a day for three consecutive days including the very
      first visit to compare outcomes (i.e., relief of DOMS measured with pressure pain threshold
      and visual analogue scale) and blinding property (the participants will be asked 'which type
      of acupuncture do you think you have received?' and choose 1 answer out of real, sham, or
      don't know options).
    

Intervention name(s): acupuncture; Park Sham Needle
Intervention type(s): Device; Device
Intervention description(s): A sterilised stainless steel needle (diameter 0.25mm X length 40mm, Dongbang Acupuncture Inc., Boryeong, Chungchenongnam-do, Korea) will be given at PC3, LI4, LI11, and LU5 of non-dominant arm for 15 minutes once a day for 3 days (immediately after inducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and 2 consecutive days after inducing DOMS).; A Park Sham Needle (Meridius Medical Ltd. & DongBang Acuprime Ltd., Exeter, UK), non-penetrating sham acupuncture, will be given at two points on the belly of biceps brachii, 1 cun proximedially from LI11, and 1 cun laterally from PC3 of non-dominant arm for 15 minutes once a day for 3 days (immediately after inducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and 2 consecutive days after inducing DOMS).
Other intervention name(s): sham acupuncture
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Placebo; Informed consent; Participant information leaflet; Outcome; Blinding; Sham; Acupuncture; Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness