Motor Activity, Pain, Acute
Conditions
Keywords
acute pain, young adults, pain, motor learning, motor consolidation, gait, locomotion, walking, generalization
Brief summary
To date, the effects of pain on motor learning have not been thoroughly investigated. When examining potential effects on retention of motor learning, it is important to dissociate any effects of pain from effects of a context change. The purpose of this research is to determine whether any altered retention of motor learning associated with acute pain is a true affect of pain or an affect of context (or both).
Interventions
PROCEDUREpain delivery - learning only
Experimental pain paradigm delivered (capsaicin cream combined with heat) that is short-term and painful but not harmful. Applied to skin just during the Day 1 learning period.
PROCEDUREpain delivery - learning and retention
Experimental pain paradigm delivered (capsaicin cream combined with heat) that is short-term and painful but not harmful. Applied to skin during the Day 1 learning period and again during the Day 2 retention period.
Sponsors
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
University of Delaware
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Masking description
Application of pain or no stimulus cannot be masked from participants, nor from outcomes assessors.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion 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: * 18-35 years old * Self-identifying as generally medically healthy * Able to read, write and speak English * Able to provide informed consent * Willing to undergo the experimental pain or non-painful electrical stimulation, if selected
Exclusion criteria
* Resting HR \< 50 or \> 100 bpm * Resting BP \< 90/60 or \> 140/95 mmHg * 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. * Score on the MoCA \<23 * Score on the GAD-7 ≥ 10 * Score on the PHQ-2 ≥ 2 and score on the PHQ-9 ≥ 10 * Any current (within last 3 month) or chronic medical conditions, including any musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, endocrine, pulmonary, metabolic, psychiatric or neurological diagnosis * Any implanted electronic medical devices (i.e., cardiac pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators, spinal cord neurostimulators) * Any impaired sensation or weakness in either lower extremity or in the area targeted for the stimulus * 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 * Any history of acute or chronic problems with balance, any dizziness, or \> 1 fall in the last 12 months * Taking 4 or more medications * 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.) * Any current or chronic pain condition during the last year, located anywhere in the body * Allergy to capsaicin or hot peppers * Any skin lesion, breakage or irritation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus * Skin sensitivity to soaps/creams/perfumes or to heat * Poor circulation in the area targeted for the painful stimulus * Prior participation in a locomotor learning study in this lab within the last 2 years
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Motor Retention Magnitude | 24 hours post learning (day 2) | degree to which the learned locomotor pattern has been remembered (in step length percent change, normalized to the amount learned from day 1) |
| Motor Learning Magnitude | immediately after learning (day 1) | degree to which the new locomotor pattern has been acquired (in step length percent change) |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed