The Effect of Exposure to Aversive Non-verbal Vocalizations on Pain Tolerance (CRYPAIN)

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Behavioral: Playback Experiments; Diagnostic Test: index NOL; Behavioral: Cold pressor task (CPT); Diagnostic Test: Video-pupillometry

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04423874

19CH215

2020-A00274-35 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Humans produce non-verbal vocalizations (shouting, growling, screaming), laughter, ...) in various contexts that are likely to perform biological functions.

and important social issues. Yet despite their importance in the human vocal repertoire, the mechanisms and functions of non-verbal vocalizations remain little studied and poorly understood including in humans.

In this context, the investigators wish to examine how the perception of vocalizations non-verbal aversive behaviours influence pain tolerance in healthy adults.

Full description

Humans produce nonverbal vocalisations such as screams, grunts, roars, cries and laughter across a variety of contexts. Yet despite the prominence and apparent importance of these nonverbal sounds in human communication, the investigators still know very little about their influence on human perception and behaviour. That's why, in this study, the investigators will examine specifically the influence of nonverbal vocal perception on pain tolerance.

The remainder of the study will involve up to three trials of a pain tolerance (cold pressor) task, during which the investigators will ask participants to listen to vocalisations (e.g., babies' cries or babbling) while submerging the participant's hand in bath of circulating cold water.

The results of the study will contribute to theoretical understanding of the functions of nonverbal vocal communication in humans, in particular the influence of nonverbal vocal and perception (of babies' cries) on pain tolerance.

Enrollment: 104 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Participant in good health
• Affiliated or entitled participant in a social security scheme
• Participant who received informed information about the study and co-signed, with the investigator, a consent to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Chronic pain
• High blood pressure or poor circulation
• Cardiac or vascular disease, or a heart condition (including symptoms of Raynaud's syndrome)
• Allergy or hypersensitivity to cold
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Pregnancy
• Recent serious injury
• Neurological or psychiatric condition known to affect pain tolerance (e.g., peripheral neuropathy, schizophrenia)
• History of fainting or seizures
• History of frostbite

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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104 participants in 1 patient group

Healthy adult population aged 18 to 60 years.

Experimental group

Description:

Their pain tolerance will be tested using the Cold Pressor Task while listening to vocalisations. Physiological measures will be taken using two techniques: Nociception Level Index and video pupillometry.

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Video-pupillometry

Behavioral: Cold pressor task (CPT)

Diagnostic Test: index NOL

Behavioral: Playback Experiments