Healthy, Neck Pain
Conditions
Brief summary
This study investigates if/how an experimentally applied muscle pain/soreness, lasting for some days may affect brain activity, balance, movement patterns, muscle function and pain sensitivity in a healthy population
Detailed description
All included healthy volunteers will participate in test-sessions on 4 separate days over approximately 2 weeks. During the study participants will be randomised into and either a control group (injection of isotonic saline into a neck muscle) or neck pain group (injection of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) into a neck muscle). Alle participants tested with regards to: Brain activity related to neck muscles will be estimated using TMS Balance will be tested using a force place Body movements will be recorded using 3D tracking Muscle activity will be estimated using electromyography (EMG)
Interventions
Half the participants will be injected in a neck muscle with isotonic saline (Control group) and the other half will get NGF (Neck pain group).
OTHERInjection of NGF
Half the participants will be injected in a neck muscle with NGF (Neck pain group).
Sponsors
Aalborg University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Healthy men and women aged 18-50 years * Only for sub-projects 1 and 2: Right-handed * Able to speak, read and understand Danish and English
Exclusion criteria
* Pain from the neck or shoulder area during the past 6 months * Experience of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) during the week leading up to the test session * Former surgery in neck or shoulder * Current or previous chronic or recurrent pain condition * Pregnancy * Drug addiction defined as the use of cannabis, opioids or other drugs * Previous neurologic, musculoskeletal or mental illnesses * Regular use of analgesics * Abnormally disrupted sleep in the last 24 hours preceding the experiment * Lack of ability to cooperate * Unable to pass the TASS safety screening questionnaire for TMS
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in pressure pain threshold (PPT) measured with a handheld pressure algometer | Day 0, 2,4 and 15 | PPT will be assessed over head, neck, arm and leg sites. |
| Change in motor evoked potentials | Day 0, 4 and 15 | Trans cranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is used to asses motor evoked potentials of neck muscles |
| Change in Body movement | Day 0, 4 and 15 | 3D recordings of body movements |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in perceived pain: McGill Pain Questionnaire | Day 0, 2,4 and 15 | Pain will be scored using a scale from 0-10 with 0 being no pain and 10 being worst imaginable pain, by drawing on body charts and choosing words from the McGill Pain Questionnaire. |
| Disability | Day 0, 2,4 and 15 | Neck disability Index will be scored. Body movements will be scored on a modified 6-point Likert scale (0 = not difficult at all; 1 = minimally difficult; 2 = somewhat difficult; 3 = fairly difficult; 4 = very difficult; 5 = unable to perform) |
| The Big Five Inventory (BFI) | Day 2 | BFI questionnaire investigates five general traits personality: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness. The BFI consists of 44 items that are answered on a 5 point Likert scale (1=Disagree strongly, 2=Disagree a little, 3=Neither agree or disagree, 4=Agree a little, 5=Agree strongly). This is not good/bad score in this questionnaire as it only assess personality traits. |
| Pain Catastrophizing Scale (13 item questionnaire) | Day 2 | Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) questionnaire. 13 items that can be answered with a Likert scale (0 = not at all, 1 = to a slight degree, 2= to a moderate degree, 3 = to a great degree, 4 = all the time). The PCS is scored by summing responses to all 13 items with scores ranging from 0 - 52. |
| Change in muscle activity (EMG) | Day 0, 4 and 15 | EMG of axioscapular muscles & trunk during arm movements |
| Change in standing balance | Day 0, 4 and 15 | Standing balance is measured on a force platform |
Countries
Denmark
Contacts
Primary ContactSteffan W Christensen, PhD
Outcome results
None listed