Plain-English translation of NCT06986122 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated · Translation generated · How we translate trials
This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.
This research study investigates how your brain and body respond to pain differently depending on whether you feel in control of the situation. Researchers will place you in three different virtual reality rooms—one safe, one where you can control pain with a button, and one where pain occurs without your control—while measuring your pain levels, anxiety, and brain activity. The goal is to understand the brain mechanisms behind why having a sense of control can help us cope with pain.
Pain and anxiety are deeply tied to how much control we feel we have over our circumstances. Understanding these connections could help develop better ways to help people manage chronic pain and anxiety, and may reveal how expectation and context work together to reduce suffering.
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You will visit the research facility to explore three virtual reality rooms while lying in a brain imaging scanner. In each room, you'll learn different rules about pain and control—sometimes you can press a button to stop pain, sometimes you cannot—while also completing a maze navigation task. Researchers will measure your pain reports, anxiety responses, and brain activity throughout. The entire session will take several hours, and you may also participate in a follow-up phase where the rules of the virtual rooms change to test how your learned responses adapt.
AI-generated summary from trial data · Jul 17, 2026 · Not medical advice
United States