The Effects of Performing a Motor Imagery Task on Cortical Excitability During Acute Experimental Muscle Pain and Acute Itch
NCT Number: NCT06503523
Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Phases: NA
Conditions: Itch|Pain
Interventions: OTHER: Hypertonic Saline|OTHER: Histamine|OTHER: Cowhage|DEVICE: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Sponsor: Aalborg University
Sex: ALL
Age: ADULT
Enrollment: 30
Study Design: Allocation: NA|Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP|Masking: NONE|Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
Start Date: 2024-09-01
Completion Date: 2026-12-31

Summary:
The aim of this project is to determine the effects of performing a motor imagery task on cortical excitability during acute experimental muscle pain (induced by hypertonic saline), acute histaminergic itch (induced by histamine), and non-histaminergic itch stimulation (triggered by Cowhage). We hypothesize that motor imagery will counteract the alterations in cortical excitability observed during experimental muscle pain and both itch models.

Primary Outcome Measures: Numeric rating scales (NRS), NRS are essentially VAS but have tick marks spaced every centimeter so as to create 11-point scale (from 0 to 10).

Subject can use these tick marks as a guide when they mark their severity on the scale., 1 minute after every itch/pain induction|Measuring cortical excitability (TEPs), Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with a figure-eight-shaped cone coil will be used to evoke cortical responses in the motor cortex. The resulting TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) will be collected using an electroencephalogram (EEG). This assessment will last for 7 minutes before inducing itch or pain., Baseline|Measuring cortical excitability (TEPs), Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with a figure-eight-shaped cone coil will be used to evoke cortical responses in the motor cortex. The resulting TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) will be collected using an electroencephalogram (EEG). This assessment will last for 7 minutes during itch or pain. The pain or itch sensation will last 10 minutes., During Itch/pain stimulation for 10 minutes|Measuring cortical excitability (TEPs), Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with a figure-eight-shaped cone coil will be used to evoke cortical responses in the motor cortex. The resulting TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) will be collected using an electroencephalogram (EEG). This assessment will last for 7 minutes during motor imagery task., During motor imagery task for 7 minutes|Measuring cortical excitability (TEPs), Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with a figure-eight-shaped cone coil will be used to evoke cortical responses in the motor cortex. The resulting TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) will be collected using an electroencephalogram (EEG). Similar to the baseline, this assessment will last for 7 minutes after itch or pain., Post induction of itch or pain
Secondary Outcome Measures: Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)., The PCS assesses negative and exaggerated coping concerning anticipated or experienced painful stimuli. Thirteen items have to be answered on a 5-point Likert-type scale., Baseline|Itch Catastrophizing Scale (ICS)., The ICS assesses negative and exaggerated coping concerning anticipated or experienced itchy stimuli. Thirteen items have to be answered on a 5-point Likert-type scale., Baseline|Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory - Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ)., The RST-PQ contains the following subscales: the Fight-Flight-Freeze System (FFFS, 10 items), which represents a defensive factor related to active avoidance of adverse stimuli; the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS, 23 items), which represents a defensive factor related to anxiety and passive avoidance of adverse stimuli; and the Behavioral Approach System (BAS, 32 items), which reflects reward interest, goal-drive persistence, reward reactivity, and impulsivity. In total, 65 items have to be answered on a 4-point Likert-type scale, Baseline|The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), The PSQI consists of 19 items generating seven component scores: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction. The seven component scores can be summarized in a global score ranging from zero to 21 with higher scores reflecting a worse overall quality of sleep, Baseline|Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21), The questionnaire measures the magnitude of depression, anxiety, and stress. Each of these three subscales consists of 7 questions answered using a 0-3 Likert scale, with 0 meaning "it did not apply to me", and 3 meaning "it applied to me very much"., Baseline|Learned Helplessness Scale (LHS), The questionnaire consists of 20 items, and the participant's response to each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from strongly agree (1) to strongly disagree (4)., Baseline|Positive And Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), PANAS measures positive and negative affect dimensions. Twenty words are associated with the subject's current feelings and have to be rated on a 5-points Likert-type scale., Baseline