Pain Prediction Via Machine Learning: Electrical Thresholds and Interoception

November 1, 2026 updated by: Aybike Senel, Amasya University

Machine Learning-Based Pain Prediction in University Students: Electrical Threshold Measurements and Interoception

The goal of this observational study is to predict (retrospective and prospective) musculoskeletal pain in university students using machine learning models based on electrical threshold measurements and interoceptive awareness. The main question it aims to answer is:

Can electrical sensory, motor, and pain thresholds, along with interoceptive awareness scores, predict musculoskeletal pain status in young adults using machine learning algorithms?

Participants will:

Complete demographic, healthy lifestyle (physical activity, sitting time, meal frequency), and substance use (ASSIST v3.0) questionnaires.

Complete self-report surveys including the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2).

Undergo quantitative electrical threshold testing on their dominant hand, which includes 3 consecutive measurements of sensory threshold, motor threshold (after a 10-minute rest), and pain threshold (after another 10-minute rest).

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal pain, electrical threshold values, and interoception in healthy university students, and to evaluate the predictive accuracy of machine learning models for both retrospective and prospective musculoskeletal pain.

Designed as an observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study with a prospective follow-up component, this study will include approximately 550 healthy, right-hand dominant students aged 18-25 who provide written informed consent.

Participants' demographic data and healthy lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sitting time, nutrition, and tobacco/alcohol/substance use via ASSIST) will be recorded. Musculoskeletal complaints will be evaluated using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and interoception will be assessed using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-II. Finally, electrical sensory, motor, and pain thresholds will be measured using a combined electrotherapy device with electrodes placed over the flexor muscles of the forearm. One week later, participants will be contacted again to re-evaluate their pain complaints during the preceding 7 days.

In statistical analyses, in addition to correlation and regression analyses among parameters, the performance of three machine learning models-Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and XGBoost-in predicting participants' retrospective and prospective pain will be evaluated.

The research results will demonstrate several key outcomes. First, they will elucidate the relationship between musculoskeletal pain, electrical threshold values, and interoception in university students, while testing the utility of electrical threshold values as an objective tool in musculoskeletal pain assessment. Furthermore, the study will evaluate the accuracy of machine learning models in predicting both retrospective and prospective pain within this population. By leveraging objective measurements obtained from widely accessible clinical devices, the findings will contribute to digital health approaches and applications that guide researchers and clinicians throughout pain evaluation and treatment processes. Ultimately, this work will provide critical insights into the efficacy of the proposed research methodology before its implementation in diverse patient populations.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

550

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 Locations

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

18 years to 25 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

University students with healthy lifestyle

Description

Inclusion criteria:

  • Being healthy and aged 18-25
  • Having the right hand as the dominant extremity
  • Being able to communicate effectively and understand the study procedure
  • Being willing to participate in the study and having signed the written informed consent

Exclusion criteria:

  • Presence of continuous or periodic pain in the same region over the last 3 months (presence of chronic pain)
  • Presence of sleep problems
  • History of severe menstrual or abdominal pain
  • Diagnosis of an endocrinological, psychiatric, urogenital, neurological, dermatological, cardiorespiratory, or musculoskeletal disease and/or sleep disorder that could be related to the study outcomes
  • Being pregnant or the possibility of pregnancy

Criteria for withdrawal from the study:

  • Deciding not to participate in the study and not wishing to complete the assessments
  • Experiencing discomfort due to the assessments and measurements and not wishing to complete them

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

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: PROSPECTIVE

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
university students with healthy lifestyle
Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort

No Intervention: Observational Cohort

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Retrospective Pain
Time Frame: baseline

Self-reported musculoskeletal pain presence and anatomical localization over the preceding 12 months and past 7 days, assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). The NMQ is a standardized screening instrument that evaluates musculoskeletal symptoms (pain, ache, or discomfort) across 9 distinct body regions (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands, upper back, lower back, hips/thighs, knees, and ankles/feet).
baseline
Prospective Pain
Time Frame: 1 week post-baseline

Presence and anatomical site of self-reported prospective musculoskeletal pain or discomfort experienced during the 1-week follow-up period. Participants will be re-evaluated via a structured telephone or digital questionnaire inquiring about any newly developed or ongoing musculoskeletal pain symptoms in the preceding 7 days. Pain presence is recorded as a binary outcome (Yes/No) for overall pain and for specific body regions.
1 week post-baseline
Electrical Sensory, Motor, and Pain Thresholds
Time Frame: baseline

Quantitative evaluation of somatosensory processing using a standardized monochromatic combined electrotherapy device (Intelect Advanced Monochromatic Combo). Electrodes 5x5 cm will be placed over the wrist flexor muscles on the anterior aspect of the dominant forearm using a symmetric biphasic square wave (100 Hz frequency, 100 µs phase duration, current increased at a rate of 1 mA/s). Three threshold parameters will be measured in milliamperes (mA):Electrical Sensory Threshold (EST): The minimum current intensity at which the participant first perceives a tingling or sensory stimulus.Electrical Motor Threshold (EMT): The minimum current intensity required to elicit a visible muscle contraction.Electrical Pain Threshold (EPT): The minimum current intensity at which the electrical sensation first becomes painful.
baseline
Interoceptive Awareness
Time Frame: baseline

Multidimensional self-reported interoceptive bodily awareness assessed using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-2 (MAIA-2) scale. The MAIA-2 is a 37-item questionnaire evaluated on a 6-point Likert scale (0= Never to 5=Always) across 8 distinct subscales: Noticing, Not-Distracting, Not-Worrying, Attention Regulation, Emotional Awareness, Self-Regulation, Body Listening, Trust.

Subscale scores are calculated as the mean of their respective items (range: 0 to 5), with higher scores indicating higher levels of interoceptive awareness.
baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Amasya 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)

December 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 19, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 3, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 1, 2026

Last Verified

October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 19092026-AS

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

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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