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Sociocultural & Biobehavioral Influences on Pain Expression and Assessment
NCT03258580 · View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Study Summary
Objective The current proposal investigates behavioral, psychophysiological, and social processes that may help explain biases and disparate outcomes in pain. Health disparities, or health outcomes that adversely affect disadvantaged populations, are pervasive and apparent in many diseases and symptoms, including pain. Pain is the number one reason individuals seek medical treatment. Health disparities in pain encompass both differences in pain experience and treatment for pain. For instance, research indicates that Black individuals report increased pain and have reduced pain tolerance relative to White individuals, yet doctors are less likely to treat minority patients pain and underestimate their pain experience. This project aims to address this systemic discrepancy by focusing on interpersonal processes that may contribute to these disparities, including socially-relevant responses to pain (i.e. pain expression) and pain assessment (e.g. visual attention). The proposed research aims to determine whether the study of pain expressions and their assessment can yield insights on how social factors shape pain and its treatment. Further, we test the efficacy of potential interventions designed to improve accuracy and reduce biases in pain assessment. If successful, this work will form the foundation of a new research program that will link the field of pain research with the field of social neuroscience, and forge new insights on the critical problem of health disparities in pain. Study population We will accrue up to 700 total healthy volunteers to target 240 completers Design Our overall aim is to understand how social factors influence the assessment and management of pain, and to gain insight into psychosocial processes that may underlie health disparities in pain. We propose a series of studies designed to test these links. First, we will measure pain perception and physiological responses to painful stimuli in a diverse group of individuals to test for soc
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- DEVICE Medoc thermal stimulator
- DEVICE Electric shock stimulator
- DEVICE Cold water bath
- BEHAVIORAL Pain assessment performance feedback
Study Locations (1)
Maryland
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center — Bethesda
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 700 participants |
| Start Date | 2018-05-09 |
| Est. Completion | 2027-05-30 |
| Phase | NA |
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Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗What the Registry Record Tells You About NCT03258580
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry for NCT03258580 describes a study currently listed as recruiting. It is categorized as NA, which is the standard way researchers label where a study sits along the investigational pathway from early safety work through later efficacy and post-marketing evaluation. The registered enrollment target is 700 participants, a figure that helps gauge the scale of data the investigators plan to collect. The listed sponsor is National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which has 55 total studies on file at ClinicalTrials.gov, and sponsors are the parties responsible for study design, oversight, and regulatory filings.
The record links to 3 conditions, with Pain appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 4 interventions — of which Medoc thermal stimulator is the first listed. Interventions can include drugs, devices, procedures, behavioral programs, or observational arms, and each is tracked as a separate registry field so that downstream queries can filter accurately. When a trial lists multiple interventions, it usually reflects a multi-arm design or a comparison protocol rather than a single treatment being tested in isolation. The brief summary published in the registry is the clearest source of protocol intent and should be read before drawing conclusions from any sidebar tags.
Geographic footprint matters for practical reasons: NCT03258580 reports 1 study location spanning 1 distinct geographic area — top geographies include Maryland. A larger site network tends to correlate with broader recruitment capacity, but it does not imply anything about study quality, and site-level enrollment status can diverge from the overall registry status shown above. Every data point on this page comes from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset and is reproduced here for reference only; it is not a medical recommendation, an endorsement of the sponsor, or an invitation to enroll. Verify current status, eligibility criteria, and contact details directly at ClinicalTrials.gov, and discuss any participation decision with your own healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT03258580 about?
NCT03258580 is a clinical study titled "Sociocultural & Biobehavioral Influences on Pain Expression and Assessment". Objective The current proposal investigates behavioral, psychophysiological, and social processes that may help explain biases and disparate outcomes in pain. Health disparities, or health outcomes that adversely affect disadvantaged populations, are pervasive and apparent in many diseases and symp...
What is the current status of trial NCT03258580?
This trial is currently recruiting. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 700 participants. The study started on 2018-05-09. Estimated completion is 2027-05-30.
What conditions does trial NCT03258580 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Pain, Healthy Volunteers, Normal Physiology. These conditions were identified from the trial registry and reflect the primary focus areas of the research.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT03258580?
The interventions under investigation include: Medoc thermal stimulator (DEVICE), Electric shock stimulator (DEVICE), Cold water bath (DEVICE), Pain assessment performance feedback (BEHAVIORAL). Each intervention is being evaluated for safety and efficacy as part of this clinical study.
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT03258580?
This trial is sponsored by National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which has 55 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The sponsor is responsible for the study's design, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Where is trial NCT03258580 being conducted?
This trial has 1 study location across Maryland. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
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