Exercise Induced Hypoalgesia in Pain-free Stroke and Healthy Populations: a Cohort Study

Sponsor
Neuron, Spain
Study ID
NCT07327593
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Exercise Induced Hypoalgesia
  • Pain
  • Stroke

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Cardiovascular training — OTHER
    The cardiovascular training protocol will consist of a 5-minute warm-up aimed at reaching 70% of maximum heart rate (MHR) followed by 20 minutes of sustained work at this intensity (since maintaining this intensity is difficult, especially in the stroke cohort, we will allow for a margin of ±2-3% of MHR and provide feedback to increase or decrease the heart rate). We will aim to keep the heart rate below 73% of maximum heart rate, maintain blood pressure within safe ranges, and keep the effort level between 14/20 and 16/20

Study Details

Exercise has shown multiple beneficial effects in both healthy and post-stroke populations. One of these is the acute reduction in sensitivity to painful stimuli, called exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). This phenomenon has been studied since 1979 and has shown improvements in pain thresholds with both aerobic and resistance training in healthy, pain-free populations and different chronic pain conditions. Although there has been extensive research on EIH in healthy populations and those with chronic musculoskeletal pain, surprisingly little attention has been given to individuals with neurological pathologies. Chronic pain is found in more than 50% of patients after stroke, and 70% of affected individuals experience pain on daily activities. Reported prevalences of post-stroke pain (PSP) between different studies, but there is a general consensus that it is an underreported phenomenon. Patients with pain experience greater cognitive and functional decline, fatigue, depression and lower quality of life. Multiple factors contribute to PSP, and various approaches exist to treat all the variables influencing it. This study aims to compare the effects of exercise on pain perception in healthy individuals and stroke patients without pain, using the same cardiovascular training protocol, to better understand the mechanisms of EIH and its maintenance after stroke, ultimately aiming to improve the treatment of people with stroke.

Key Dates

First listed
Jan 8, 2026
Start date
Apr 30, 2026
Status verified
Mar 2026
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2026
Completion
Nov 30, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Active Comparator: Healthy cohort
    Age \> 18 years; no neurological damage; no medical conditions that could affect the test; no pain of duration \> 1 week in the 3 months preceding the enrollment. No serious medical conditions. First, pressure pain thresholds and conditioned pain modulation will be assessed. Then, participants will conduct a cardiovascular training for 30 minutes, and will be reassessed inmediately post-training and 30 minutes after.
  • Experimental: Post-stroke pain free cohort
    Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke (\> 3 months); older than 18 years old; of duration \> 1 week in the 3 months preceding the enrollment. No other serious medical conditions. Post-stroke participants will get the same study protocol than healthy cohort.

Primary Outcome Measure

Pressure pain thresholds [ Time Frame: Before the cardiovacular training, inmediately after the training, and 30 minutes after ]

Central Contacts

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