Proprioceptive Puzzle: Effects on Quantitative Sensory Tests and Body Awareness

November 20, 2025 updated by: Nagihan Acet

Proprioceptive Puzzle: The Effect of Cervical Proprioceptive Errors on Quantitative Sensory Tests and Body Awareness in Young Adults

Background: Cervical proprioception, referring to the awareness of the head's position in space, plays a crucial role in maintaining postural control and preventing musculoskeletal injuries. While previous research has established the importance of cervical proprioception in motor function, its specific impact on body awareness and pain-related aspects remains less explored, particularly in healthy young individuals.

Aim: This prospective cross-sectional study aims to investigate the impact of cervical proprioceptive error on body awareness, pressure pain threshold, pressure pain tolerance, conditioned pain modulation, and temporal summation in healthy young individuals.

Methods: In asymptomatic participants, cervical proprioception will be assessed using the 'head position error test' in both right and left rotation directions with the CROM device. Participants will be then divided into two groups based on the presence of proprioceptive deviation (>5°). Body awareness will beassessed using the 'Body Awareness Questionnaire,' while pressure pain threshold, pain tolerance, and temporal summation will be measured bilaterally with an algometer device (2 cm lateral to the C2 and C7 spinal processes, midpoint of the upper part of the trapezius, and over the temporomandibular joint) in both groups. Subsequently, the two groups will be compared using independent samples t-tests.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Cervical proprioception, which refers to the awareness of the head's position in space, is a fundamental component of postural control and the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries. This sense is mediated by sensory receptors located in the muscles, joints, and skin of the cervical spine, providing critical feedback for maintaining balance and coordinating movements. Previous studies have extensively documented the role of cervical proprioception in motor function, highlighting its importance in activities that require precise head and neck movements.

Despite these findings, there is a gap in the literature regarding the specific impact of cervical proprioception on body awareness and pain-related parameters in healthy individuals. Body awareness, or the conscious perception of body position and movement, is essential for efficient motor control and overall well-being. Additionally, understanding how proprioceptive errors in the cervical region might influence pain perception could provide insights into mechanisms underlying chronic pain conditions.

The primary aim of this prospective cross-sectional study is to investigate the impact of cervical proprioceptive error on body awareness, pressure pain threshold, pressure pain tolerance, conditioned pain modulation, and temporal summation in asymptomatic young individuals.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

60

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Ankara
      • Ankara, Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye), 06560
        • Atılım University

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study involves healthy young participants aged between 18 and 25 years. The participants will be divided into two groups based on the presence of cervical proprioceptive deviation (greater than 5°) as measured by the 'head position error test' using a CROM device.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

* Being between 18-25 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of cervical spine injuries or disorders
  • Chronic pain conditions or diagnosed musculoskeletal disorders
  • Previous neck or spine surgeries
  • Neurological or psychiatric conditions affecting proprioception or pain perception
  • Use of medications influencing pain sensitivity or proprioception
  • Pregnancy

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Proprioceptive deficit positive group
This group consists of young participants who exhibit a proprioceptive error in their cervical proprioception test. Proprioceptive error refers to an inaccurate perception of the head's position in space. In this study, participants with a deviation greater than 5 degrees during the test will be classified into this group.
Other: Assessment of cervical proprioception
Cervical proprioception will be assessed using the 'head position error test' in both right and left rotation directions with the CROM device. Participants will be then divided into two groups based on the presence of proprioceptive errors (>5°).
Proprioceptive deficit negative goup
This group includes young participants who do not show any proprioceptive error in the cervical proprioception test. These participants accurately perceive the position of their head and thus do not have a proprioceptive deficit (less than 5 degrees)
Other: Assessment of cervical proprioception
Cervical proprioception will be assessed using the 'head position error test' in both right and left rotation directions with the CROM device. Participants will be then divided into two groups based on the presence of proprioceptive errors (>5°).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Quantitative sensory testing
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention
Quantitative sensory testing including pain threshold, tolerance, conditioned pain modulation, and temporal summation will be assessed by pressure algometer. The "pain threshold" is the point at which a person first feels pain, the "pain tolerance" is the last point that a person can tolerate, and the "temporal summation" is the first painful threshold evaluated after 10 repeats of the pain threshold. Conditioned pain modulation is the modulation of pain perception under varying conditions. In the current study, a cold stimulus will be used.
Immediately after the intervention
Assessment of body awareness
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention
Body awareness will be assessed through a questionnaire, consisting of 18 items, divided into 4 subgroups aimed at determining the sensitivity level of normal or abnormal body composition (1. Changes during the body process, 2. Sleep-wake cycle, 3. Estimation of disease onset, 4. Prediction of bodily reactions). Participants are asked to rate each item on a scale of 1 to 7. The overall score is calculated, and a higher score indicates better body awareness. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire are reported to be high.
Immediately after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Nagihan Acet

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Nagihan Acet, Atılım University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

September 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

February 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 14, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 16, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

August 19, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 20, 2025

Last Verified

November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • AtılımU-2

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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