Effects of Expectancy and Mindfulness Instructions on Chronic Pain

October 29, 2026 updated by: Adam Hanley, Florida State University

Measuring the Frame: Examining the Clinical and Neurophysiological Impact of Verbal Expectations and Practice Instructions in a Mindfulness Exercise for Chronic Pain

This randomized 2×2 factorial study will examine how verbal expectancy framing and mindfulness-specific practice instructions influence acute pain and brain activity in adults with chronic pain. Sixty meditation-naïve adults will be assigned to one of four conditions combining positive or negative expectancy framing with either a guided mindfulness exercise or a sham-meditation comparison exercise. Pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, anxiety, desire for pain medication, and mindfulness-related psychological states will be assessed before and immediately after the intervention, while electroencephalography (EEG) will be used to measure changes in brain activity during the exercise. The study is designed to clarify the independent and combined contributions of expectancy and mindfulness-specific instructions to acute pain relief and neurophysiological responses.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Carter Minnick
  • Phone Number: 850-270-7844
  • Email: cm25bo@fsu.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Florida
      • Tallahassee, Florida, United States, 32303
        • Research Building B
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 years or older
  • Chronic pain, defined as pain occurring on more days than not during the past 3 months
  • Average pain intensity ≥3 on a 0-10 scale during the past week
  • Meditation-naïve, defined as no prior formal or informal meditation training, including MBSR/MBCT, books, or online resources

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Inability to provide informed consent
  • Acute cognitive impairment preventing meaningful participation, in the judgment of the study team
  • Unwillingness to refrain from as-needed pain-relief modalities for 3 hours before the laboratory exercise when safe and feasible
  • Unwillingness to complete all study procedures

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Mindfulness + Positive Expectancy
Behavioral: Mindfulness of Breath Practice (15 min)

Standard mindfulness of breath practice to last 15 minutes. Accompanied by either a positive or negative expectancy script directly beforehand.
Experimental: Mindfulness + Negative Expectancy
Behavioral: Mindfulness of Breath Practice (15 min)

Standard mindfulness of breath practice to last 15 minutes. Accompanied by either a positive or negative expectancy script directly beforehand.
Experimental: Sham-Mindfulness + Positive Expectancy
Behavioral: Sham-Mindfulness Practice

Sham-mindfulness comparator to last 15 min. Participants will be prompted every 3 min to "take a deep breath, as we sit here in mindfulness." Accompanied by either a positive or negative expectancy script directly beforehand.
Experimental: Sham-Mindfulness + Negative Expectancy
Behavioral: Sham-Mindfulness Practice

Sham-mindfulness comparator to last 15 min. Participants will be prompted every 3 min to "take a deep breath, as we sit here in mindfulness." Accompanied by either a positive or negative expectancy script directly beforehand.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain Intensity
Time Frame: Immediately before and after the 15-minute intervention

Current pain intensity will be assessed using a 0-10 numeric rating scale, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the worst pain imaginable. Pain intensity will be assessed immediately before and after the intervention; the primary analysis will compare post-intervention ratings across experimental conditions while adjusting for the corresponding pre-intervention rating.
Immediately before and after the 15-minute intervention
Pain Unpleasantness
Time Frame: Immediately before and after the 15-minute intervention

Current pain unpleasantness will be assessed using a 0-10 numeric rating scale, with 0 indicating not at all unpleasant and 10 indicating extremely unpleasant. Pain unpleasantness will be assessed immediately before and after the intervention; the primary analysis will compare post-intervention ratings across experimental conditions while adjusting for the corresponding pre-intervention rating.
Immediately before and after the 15-minute intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Anxiety
Time Frame: Immediately before and after the 15-minute intervention

Current anxiety will be assessed using a 0-10 numeric rating scale, with 0 indicating not at all anxious and 10 indicating extremely anxious. Anxiety will be assessed immediately before and after the intervention; analyses will compare post-intervention ratings across experimental conditions while adjusting for the corresponding pre-intervention rating.
Immediately before and after the 15-minute intervention
Desire for Pain Medication
Time Frame: Immediately before and after the 15-minute intervention

Current desire for pain medication will be assessed using a 0-10 numeric rating scale, with 0 indicating no desire at all and 10 indicating the strongest possible desire. Desire for pain medication will be assessed immediately before and after the intervention; analyses will compare post-intervention ratings across experimental conditions while adjusting for the corresponding pre-intervention rating.
Immediately before and after the 15-minute intervention
Change in Frontal-Midline Theta Power
Time Frame: During the 15-minute intervention relative to the 5-minute pre-intervention resting baseline

EEG frontal-midline theta power in the 4-8 Hz frequency band will be measured over a prespecified frontal-midline region of interest centered on Fz, FCz, and Cz. Mean theta power during the assigned exercise will be expressed relative to the 5-minute eyes-closed resting baseline.
During the 15-minute intervention relative to the 5-minute pre-intervention resting baseline

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mindfulness
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 15-minute intervention

State mindfulness will be assessed using the 3-item state version of the Metacognitive Processes of Decentering scale (MPoD-3). Scores will be assessed immediately before and after the intervention to characterize intervention-related changes in state mindfulness.
Immediately before and immediately after the 15-minute intervention
Self-Transcendence
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 15-minute intervention

State self-transcendence will be assessed using the 3-item state version of the Nondual Awareness Dimensional Assessment (NADA-3). Scores will be assessed immediately before and after the intervention to characterize intervention-related changes in state self-transcendence.
Immediately before and immediately after the 15-minute intervention
Pre-Intervention Treatment Expectancy
Time Frame: Immediately before the expectancy manipulation and 15-minute intervention

Expected effectiveness of the mindfulness exercise for reducing pain will be assessed using a 0-10 numeric rating scale, with 0 indicating not at all effective and 10 indicating extremely effective.
Immediately before the expectancy manipulation and 15-minute intervention
Post-Intervention Treatment Credibility
Time Frame: Immediately after the 15-minute intervention

Perceived credibility or believability of the exercise as a pain-management technique will be assessed using a 0-10 numeric rating scale, with 0 indicating not at all credible and 10 indicating extremely credible.
Immediately after the 15-minute intervention
Number of Participants Reporting an Unpleasant or Adverse Experience
Time Frame: Immediately after the 15-minute intervention

Participants will indicate whether they experienced an unpleasant or adverse experience during the intervention using a Yes/No item. Participants responding Yes will have the opportunity to provide a free-text description of the experience.
Immediately after the 15-minute intervention
Perceived Sociocultural Scaffolding of the Study Encounter
Time Frame: Immediately after the post-exercise processing period, prior to debriefing.

Perceived sociocultural features of the study encounter will be assessed using a 12-item exploratory questionnaire developed for this study. Participants will rate each item on a 1-7 Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The questionnaire includes four 3-item subscales assessing: (1) appeal to expert authority, (2) relational alliance-building, (3) ritualization of study procedures, and (4) co-constructed meaning-making. Higher scores on each subscale indicate greater perceived presence of that sociocultural scaffold.
Immediately after the post-exercise processing period, prior to debriefing.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Florida State University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 15, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 29, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 29, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • STUDY00008061

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

IPD may be shared with qualified individuals upon request.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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