Effects of Acute Pain on Cognitive Performance in Young Adults

University of Delaware

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pain, Acute; Cognition

Treatments: Procedure: distractor delivery with sensory TENS; Procedure: pain delivery with capsaicin and heat

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05625776

R01AG071585 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

1786370-1.2

Details and patient eligibility

About

The effects of pain on cognitive performance have not been thoroughly investigated. Broadly, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of acute pain on performance of a variety of cognitive performance measures. The investigators hypothesize that acute pain impairs cognitive performance, particularly cognitive measures of working memory, attention, and processing speed.

Enrollment: 23 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Abbreviations: HR= heart rate, bpm= beats per minute; BP= blood pressure; ADD= attention deficit disorder; ADHD= attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; MoCA= Montreal Cognitive Assessment; GAD-7= Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 Scale; PHQ-2, PHQ-9= Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and -9.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 18-35 years old
2. Self-identifying as generally medically healthy
3. Able to read, write and speak English
4. Able to provide informed consent
5. Willing to undergo the experimental pain or non-painful electrical stimulation, if selected

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Resting HR < 50 or > 100 bpm
2. Resting BP < 90/60 or > 140/95 mmHg
3. Any history or current mental health condition, learning/developmental disability or cognitive impairment, including ADD/ADHD, severe anxiety, severe depression, autism spectrum disorder, insomnia, mild cognitive impairment, etc.
4. Score on the MoCA <23
5. Score on the GAD-7 ≥ 10
6. Score on the PHQ-2 ≥ 2 and score on the PHQ-9 ≥ 10
7. Any current (within last 3 month) or chronic medical conditions, including any musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, endocrine, pulmonary, metabolic, psychiatric or neurological diagnosis
8. Any implanted electronic medical devices (i.e., cardiac pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators, spinal cord neurostimulators)
9. Any impaired sensation or weakness in either lower extremity or in the area targeted for the stimulus
10. History of serious concussion or head injury, defined as a loss of consciousness for > 5 minutes and/or requiring medical treatment, or > 2 concussions over the lifespan
11. Any history of acute or chronic problems with balance, any dizziness, or > 1 fall in the last 12 months
12. Taking 4 or more medications
13. Currently or regularly using any analgesic medications, over-the-counter remedies, or any other treatment for the purposes of pain relief (i.e., baby aspirin for heart health permitted, etc.)
14. Any current or chronic pain condition during the last year, located anywhere in the body
15. Allergy to capsaicin or hot peppers
16. Any skin lesion, breakage or irritation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus
17. Skin sensitivity to soaps/creams/perfumes or to heat
18. Poor circulation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus
19. Prior participation in a locomotor learning study in this lab within the last 2 years

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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23 participants in 3 patient groups

Pain Stimulus

Experimental group

Description:

Capsaicin combined with heat applied to intact skin

Treatment:

Procedure: pain delivery with capsaicin and heat

Distractor Somatosensory Stimulus

Active Comparator group

Description:

Sensory transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) applied to intact skin

Treatment:

Procedure: distractor delivery with sensory TENS

No Stimulus

No Intervention group

Description:

Nothing applied to skin