Ever Wonder How We Process Pain? Join Our Study!

J
Joshua Brown

Primary Investigator

Ever Wonder How We Process Pain? Join Our Study!
Recruiting
18 years - 100 years
All
Phase N/A
1 Location

Brief description of study

Help us understand how pain is processed in the brain.  

Many things can affect whether someone’s pain becomes a chronic issue, including physical activity, psychological factors, and biological differences.  Researchers in the Cognitive Control Lab at Indiana University are conducting an MRI study to better understand how we process painful stimuli. We will compare pain responses in people who have chronic back and neck pain to people who do not have any chronic pain conditions to learn more about why people process pain differently.

Who can take part?

Adults, 18 years of age or older, who are generally healthy and either:

1) have chronic neck/back pain or 

2) have no chronic pain 

Detailed description of study

What will happen during the study?

  • In this study, you will be asked to attend one study visit (3-3.5 hrs) on IU Bloomington campus.
  • During the visit, you will be asked to respond to a series of electric stimuli and prompts on a screen while you are in an MRI scanner (an MRI - magnetic resonance imaging - is a type of medical imaging that uses magnets and radio waves to create detailed pictures of organs and structures in the human body).
  • You will also complete a set of questionnaires, provide blood samples (these will occur at three time points throughout the study), and a urine sample. 

Incentive/compensation

  • You will receive $60/hour for the study visit.
  • Chronic pain patients who need to refrain from pain medications the morning of the study visit will be compensated an additional $10/hour, totaling $70/hour.  
  • You will also receive an MRI image scan of your brain on a CD.

Eligibility of study

You may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria:

  • Conditions: Healthy, Chronic Pain
  • Age: 18 years - 100 years
  • Gender: All

Inclusion Criteria:
  • Weigh less than 440lbs
  • Must be right-handed
  • Must be able to complete an MRI scan
Exclusion Criteria:
  • Have metal implants or a pacemaker
  • Claustrophobia


If you would like to participate, please complete our online screening survey here: 

https://redcap.uits.iu.edu/surveys/?s=DN48N3XJ8NKDPPYF

 If you would like to learn more about this study, please contact us at:

cclab@indiana.edu or (812)-865-1846

Updated on 15 May 2025. Study ID: 19949

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