Clinical trial NCT05626582: Effects of Acute Pain vs Context Change on Motor Learning Retention in Young Adults
Official title: Effects of Acute Pain vs Context Change on Motor Learning Retention in Young Adults
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Pain, Acute
Motor Activity
Keywords: acute pain
young adults
pain
motor learning
motor consolidation
gait
locomotion
walking
generalization
Lead sponsor: University of Delaware
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
First posted: 2022-11-23
Enrollment: 61
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 35
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: To date, the effects of pain on motor learning have not been thoroughly investigated. When examining potential effects on retention of motor learning, it is important to dissociate any effects of pain from effects of a context change. The purpose of this research is to determine whether any altered retention of motor learning associated with acute pain is a true affect of pain or an affect of context (or both).


Eligibility criteria: Abbreviations: HR= heart rate, bpm= beats per minute; BP= blood pressure; ADD= attention deficit disorder; ADHD= attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; MoCA= Montreal Cognitive Assessment; GAD-7= Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 Scale; PHQ-2, PHQ-9= Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and -9.

Inclusion Criteria:

* 18-35 years old
* Self-identifying as generally medically healthy
* Able to read, write and speak English
* Able to provide informed consent
* Willing to undergo the experimental pain or non-painful electrical stimulation, if selected

Exclusion Criteria:

* Resting HR \< 50 or \> 100 bpm
* Resting BP \< 90/60 or \> 140/95 mmHg
* Any history or current mental health condition, learning/developmental disability or cognitive impairment, including ADD/ADHD, severe anxiety, severe depression, autism spectrum disorder, insomnia, mild cognitive impairment, etc.
* Score on the MoCA \<23
* Score on the GAD-7 ≥ 10
* Score on the PHQ-2 ≥ 2 and score on the PHQ-9 ≥ 10
* Any current (within last 3 month) or chronic medical conditions, including any musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, endocrine, pulmonary, metabolic, psychiatric or neurological diagnosis
* Any implanted electronic medical devices (i.e., cardiac pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators, spinal cord neurostimulators)
* Any impaired sensation or weakness in either lower extremity or in the area targeted for the stimulus
* History of serious concussion or head injury, defined as a loss of consciousness for \> 5 minutes and/or requiring medical treatment, or \> 2 concussions over the lifespan
* Any history of acute or chronic problems with balance, any dizziness, or \> 1 fall in the last 12 months
* Taking 4 or more medications
* Currently or regularly using any analgesic medications, over-the-counter remedies, or any other treatment for the purposes of pain relief (i.e., baby aspirin for heart health permitted, etc.)
* Any current or chronic pain condition during the last year, located anywhere in the body
* Allergy to capsaicin or hot peppers
* Any skin lesion, breakage or irritation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus
* Skin sensitivity to soaps/creams/perfumes or to heat
* Poor circulation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus
* Prior participation in a locomotor learning study in this lab within the last 2 years

Primary outcomes:
measure: Motor Retention Magnitude
timeFrame: 24 hours post learning (day 2)
measure: Motor Learning Magnitude
timeFrame: immediately after learning (day 1)
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Newark
country: United States
facility: University of Delaware
state: Delaware
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Delaware
name: Susanne M Morton, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: