Individual Differences in Placebo Analgesic Effects

Part of paid clinical trials in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Sponsor
Trustees of Dartmouth College
Study ID
NCT04669093
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

Notify me when recruiting opens

Save your spot on the interest list for this study. We'll keep your details with this study so our team can follow up when recruiting opens.

Not yet recruiting

Add your contact details and location so we can keep your interest tied to this study.

Conditions

  • Healthy

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 55 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Placebo cream- "promotion" suggestion — BEHAVIORAL
    Over-the-counter hand cream will be applied to participants' skin, but they will be told that they are given a highly efficient topical analgesic cream. The suggestion will be based on a "promotion" approach (promoting good feelings).
  • Placebo cream- "prevention" suggestion — BEHAVIORAL
    Over-the-counter hand cream will be applied to participants' skin, but they will be told that they are given a highly efficient topical analgesic cream. The suggestion will be based on a "prevention" approach (preventing pain).
  • Control cream — BEHAVIORAL
    In a control condition, with the same cream as in the placebo interventions, participants will be instructed that the cream is a control cream with no effects.

Study Details

This study examines the effects of placebo suggestions tailored to match or mismatch individual participants' motivational styles-an issue of person-situation 'fit' with important effects in public health settings, but which has been ignored in past research.

Key Dates

Start date
Sep 30, 2026
Status verified
Dec 2025
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2027
Completion
Dec 31, 2027

Study Design

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

Arms

  • Experimental: Placebo
    All participants will participate in two sessions, one with a placebo suggestion that matches the participant's motivational style, and one with placebo suggestion that does not match their motivational style, in a pseudo-random order.
  • Experimental: Control
    Each session will also include a control phase, in which the same cream will be applied, and participants will be instructed that the cream has no analgesic effects.

Primary Outcome Measure

Changes in subjective ratings of acute thermal pain [ Time Frame: Measured repeatedly, immediately after thermal stimuli on the day of participation. Averaged and compared across interventions. ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

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

Find similar trials in Hanover, NH

By research site
Dartmouth College· Hanover, NH

Related Studies