Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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NOT_YET_RECRUITING
NA
34 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2026-01-01
2026-04-01
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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1. Experimental Group ("Prior Experience"): Individuals who report a prior painful experience with capsaicin cream.
2. Control Group ("No Prior Experience"): Individuals who report no prior experience with capsaicin cream.
All participants will take part in a single experimental session. Both groups will receive identical negative verbal suggestions indicating that a neutral, harmless cream is a potent capsaicin formulation likely to cause pain.
Participants will complete a walking assessment on a treadmill. The speed will be incrementally increased from 0.8 m/s to 1.1 m/s. Throughout this task, muscle activity will be recorded via electromyography (EMG), and ground reaction forces will be captured by force platforms embedded in the treadmill.
Following the initial walk, participants will complete a set of standardized questionnaires to establish baseline scores for pain perception (Visual Analog Scale, VAS), fear of movement (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, TSK), and pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale, PCS).
The neutral cream will be applied to the knee, specifically in the area between the lateral epicondyles of the femur, in a 4 cm wide band. Participants will immediately fill out the VAS to report any pain sensations. The walking assessment is repeated, measuring the same physiological signals (EMG and ground reaction forces).
The primary objective is to determine whether a prior painful experience with capsaicin causes individuals to generalize that pain memory to a neutral sensation, leading to different outcomes than in those who only have a negative expectation. We will specifically investigate the magnitude of this effect on muscle synergies and ground reaction forces.
Conditions
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Study Design
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NON_RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
BASIC_SCIENCE
SINGLE
Study Groups
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Prior Experience Group
Participants in this arm have experienced capsaicin cream before and will be given a neutral cream. They will be told that the cream contains capsaicin and will cause pain.
Pain expectation conditioning
Participants receive a neutral cream with no real harmful effects with verbal and behavioral suggestions that it may cause localized pain. Researchers wear gloves during application and emphasize the potential discomfort, stating effects may intensify with movement.
Gait assesment
Gait will be assessed both before and after cream application. Each assessment will consist of walking on a treadmill at varying speeds while physiological data (EMG) is recorded. Identical questionnaires (VAS, TAMPA, and PCS) will be administered immediately following the first gait assessment.
Control Group
Pariticpants in this arm have never experienced capsaicin cream before and will be given a neutral cream. They will be told that the cream contains capsaicin and will cause pain.
Pain expectation conditioning
Participants receive a neutral cream with no real harmful effects with verbal and behavioral suggestions that it may cause localized pain. Researchers wear gloves during application and emphasize the potential discomfort, stating effects may intensify with movement.
Gait assesment
Gait will be assessed both before and after cream application. Each assessment will consist of walking on a treadmill at varying speeds while physiological data (EMG) is recorded. Identical questionnaires (VAS, TAMPA, and PCS) will be administered immediately following the first gait assessment.
Interventions
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Pain expectation conditioning
Participants receive a neutral cream with no real harmful effects with verbal and behavioral suggestions that it may cause localized pain. Researchers wear gloves during application and emphasize the potential discomfort, stating effects may intensify with movement.
Gait assesment
Gait will be assessed both before and after cream application. Each assessment will consist of walking on a treadmill at varying speeds while physiological data (EMG) is recorded. Identical questionnaires (VAS, TAMPA, and PCS) will be administered immediately following the first gait assessment.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Healthy participant with no self-reported diagnosed neurological, musculoskeletal, or cardiovascular disorders
* Body Mass Index (BMI) \< 30
* Ability to walk unaided for at least 10 minutes without major physical limitations
Exclusion Criteria
* Self-reported diagnosed condition affecting mobility
* Known allergy to any component of the study cream
* Allergy to EMG electrode adhesives
* Inability to stand unassisted for more than 1 minute
* Inability to walk/run at the required speed and distance
* Weight exceeding 150 kg (due to treadmill limitations)
* Recent intake (prior intervention) of:
* Analgesics (within 6 hours)
* Cigarettes (within 6 hours)
* Caffeine (within 2 hours)
* Skin lesions at the cream application site
* Pregnancy
* Failure to understand instructions
* Daytime pain reported by participant on day of experimentation
18 Years
35 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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Mitacs
INDUSTRY
Universite de Picardie Jules Verne
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Jennifer Burgos Tirado
Researcher - Ph.D student
Principal Investigators
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Thierry Lelard, PhD, HDR
Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
Lecturer
Maryne Cozette, PhD, Lecturer
Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
Lecturer
Guillaume Léonard, PhD, Lecturer
Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
Lecturer
Locations
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Centre de Recherche sur le Vieillissement
Sherbrooke, , Canada
Université de Picardie Jules Verne
Amiens, , France
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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References
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Nishi Y, Osumi M, Sumitani M, Yozu A, Morioka S. Kinematic changes in goal-directed movements in a fear-conditioning paradigm. Sci Rep. 2021 May 27;11(1):11162. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-90518-7.
Horvath A, Koteles F, Szabo A. Nocebo effects on motor performance: A systematic literature review. Scand J Psychol. 2021 Oct;62(5):665-674. doi: 10.1111/sjop.12753. Epub 2021 Jun 18.
Escalona MJ, Bourbonnais D, Goyette M, Le Flem D, Duclos C, Gagnon DH. Effects of Varying Overground Walking Speeds on Lower-Extremity Muscle Synergies in Healthy Individuals. Motor Control. 2021 Jan 27;25(2):234-251. doi: 10.1123/mc.2020-0008.
Other Identifiers
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2025-5551-1H
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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