The Role of the Opioid System in Placebo Effects on Pain and Social Rejection

Part of paid clinical trials in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Sponsor
Trustees of Dartmouth College
Study ID
NCT04650841
Phase
EARLY_PHASE1
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

  • Pain
  • Placebo Effect
  • Rejection

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 55 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Placebo Cream with Naloxone — DRUG
    Participants will be informed that the spray is an effective pain and negative emotion reducing agent.
  • Control Cream with Naloxone — DRUG
    Participants will be informed that the spray is saline.
  • Placebo Cream with Saline — DRUG
    Participants will be informed that the spray is an effective pain and negative emotion reducing agent.
  • Control Cream with Saline — DRUG
    Participants will be informed that the spray is saline.

Study Details

The current study probes the involvement of the opioid system in placebo effects on social pain, using the opioid antagonist naloxone. 60 participants who recently experienced an unwanted breakup will experience rejection-related stimuli and receive painful heat and pressure stimuli during fMRI scanning. Participants will be randomized to receive either a naloxone or saline nasal spray, and be informed that the spray is either saline, or an effective pain and negative emotion reducing agent.

Key Dates

Start date
Sep 1, 2026
Status verified
Dec 2025
Primary completion
Mar 1, 2027
Completion
Mar 1, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Naloxone Group
    Participants will receive 4mg naloxone nasal spray.
  • Experimental: Saline Group
    Participants will receive saline in the nasal spray.

Primary Outcome Measure

Intervention effects on pain ratings [ Time Frame: Immediately after pain stimuli ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Dartmouth CollegeHanoverNew Hampshire03755
Bethany Hunt, BA
[email protected]

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By research site
Dartmouth College· Hanover, NH

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