Do Emotions and Pain Combined Affect Mechanical Pain Thresholds and Other Pain-related Variables

The purpose of this study is to investigate if different emotional states could influence mechanical pain thresholds and other pain - related variables such as pain tolerance, pain intensity and pain - related negative affect.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pain Thresholds
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Emotional intervention; Other: Emotional intervention; Other: Emotional intervention; Other: Emotional intervention

Detailed Description

Participants will be randomized into 4 different groups watching different short video-clips (2.20 min), while at the same time experience short-lasting, experimentally induced pain. The negative emotions group will watch an uncomfortable short video containing violence and blood, the positive emotions group will watch a video containing a stand-up comedy show, the neutral emotions group will watch a video about how to paint a house, and the control group will just wait for 2.20 min, without any instructions about what to think about. Pressure pain thresholds will be measured with an algometer before and after the video-clip combined with experimental pain interventions.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 180
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Sweden
  • Vaxjo, Sweden, 343 32
    • Linnaeus University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Above 18 years of age
• Fluent in Swedish.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pain anywhere in body during the test session
• Known neurological disease.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Negative emotion, positive emotion, neutral emotion, control with experimental pain; The intervention includes either a negatively emotionally valenced video, a positively emotionally valenced video, a neutrally emotionally valenced video and experimental pain from the cold pressor test that are simultaneosly applied.

Other: Emotional intervention; The participant will watch a short video-clip with negative emotional content while simultaneously experience experimentally induced pain.; Other: Emotional intervention; The participant will watch a short video-clip with positive emotional content while simultaneously experience experimentally induced pain.; Other: Emotional intervention; The participant will watch a short video-clip with neutral emotional content while simultaneously experience experimentally induced pain.; Other: Emotional intervention; The participant will wait for 2.20 minutes while simultaneously experience experimentally induced pain.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs)	Pressure pain thresholds will be measured i kPa with a handheld algometer (Somedic AB).	For each participant, baseline PPTs are measured, intervention follows and intervention PPTs are measured. This will be conducted at one appointment (30 min) for each participant. Recruitment for single appointments will take place for 18 months.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain tolerance (time in seconds the left hand is immersed in cold water 1 degree C).	The measure pain tolerance equals the time the time the participant keeps their left hand immersed in cold water (1 degree C), before they decide to withdraw their hand. This will be measured in seconds. For each participant, the maximum time to keep the hand immersed in water is 300 seconds.	At a single session (30 min), the participant will keep their hand immersed in cold water for as long as possible while watching a video. This time will be measured in seconds. Participants are successively recruited for single appointmentsfor 18 months.
Pain intensity on the NRS	Participants will rate their perceived pain intensity on the NRS (Numerical Rating Scale) after the intervention (film-clip combined with pain induction using the cold pressor apparatus with cold water 1 degree C. This will take place on a single session appointment for each participant. Participants will be successively recruited for single session appointments for 18 months.	The pain intensity will be estimated at every single session appointment (30 min) after the intervention on the NRS (Numerical Rating Scale). The participants will be successively recruited for single session appointments for 18 months.
Pain-related negative affect on the NRS-A	Perceived pain-related negative affect will be estimated on the NRS-A (Numerical Rating Scale- Anxiety) after the intervention (film-clip combined with pain induction with the cold pressor apparatus with cold water 1 degree C).The pain intensity will be estimated at every single session appointment (30 min) after the intervention on the NRS (Numerical Rating Scale). The participants will be successively recruited for single session appointments for 18 months.	Negative affect will be estimated at every single test session (30 min) on the NRS-A (Numerical Rating Scale-Anxiety) directly after the intervention. The participants will be successively recruited for single session appointments during 18 months.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Linnaeus University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 31, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): October 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 12, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): February 21, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 30, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 27, 2025
• Last Verified: February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Pain; Emotions; Pressure Pain Thresholds
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: Dnr 2024-03992-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

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