An interventional study of Cold pressor task (CPT) and index NOL in Healthy, sponsored by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne. Recruiting at 1 site in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-07-01.
Sponsored by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
Humans produce non-verbal vocalizations (shouting, growling, screaming), laughter, ...) in various contexts that are likely to perform biological functions.
and important social issues. Yet despite their importance in the human vocal repertoire, the mechanisms and functions of non-verbal vocalizations remain little studied and poorly understood including in humans.
In this context, the investigators wish to examine how the perception of vocalizations non-verbal aversive behaviours influence pain tolerance in healthy adults.
Humans produce nonverbal vocalisations such as screams, grunts, roars, cries and laughter across a variety of contexts. Yet despite the prominence and apparent importance of these nonverbal sounds in human communication, the investigators still know very little about their influence on human perception and behaviour. That's why, in this study, the investigators will examine specifically the influence of nonverbal vocal perception on pain tolerance.
The remainder of the study will involve up to three trials of a pain tolerance (cold pressor) task, during which the investigators will ask participants to listen to vocalisations (e.g., babies' cries or babbling) while submerging the participant's hand in bath of circulating cold water.
The results of the study will contribute to theoretical understanding of the functions of nonverbal vocal communication in humans, in particular the influence of nonverbal vocal and perception (of babies' cries) on pain tolerance.
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne is the lead sponsor of 578 studies on the registry; 128 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Their pain tolerance will be tested using the Cold Pressor Task while listening to vocalisations. Physiological measures will be taken using two techniques: Nociception Level Index and video pupillometry.
Behavioral: Cold pressor task (CPT) · Diagnostic Test: index NOL · Behavioral: Playback Experiments · Diagnostic Test: Video-pupillometry
The cold pressor test is among the most common and established methods for studying human reactions to pain and pain tolerance. Participants submerge a hand in cold water (approx. 5°C) and are asked to keep their hand submerged for as long as can (until the sensation is intolerable), up to a maximum of 5 min. The procedure is safe because the hand is removed before adverse effects can occur. The participant will be given a break of 5 min in between trials, and will interchange hands between trials. During this break hand may to be place in warm water (25-35°C) for up to 4 min to normalise hand temperature, which will be measured before and after each trial using a digital thermometer held firmly in the palm of the hand. Each participant will complete no more than three trials (conditions) in a randomised order.
Measurement of the index NOL™: Four sensors, placed non-invasively on one of the four participants' fingers, will make it possible to calculate a dozen physiological parameters converts in real time into a pain index called NOL (for Nociception Level Index).
During the experience, participants are led to listen, via headphones, to aversive non-verbal vocalizations (baby crying). The sound levels used to broadcast the non-verbal vocalisations will be scrupulously measured using approved and certified equipment during the preparation of the experiments. These sound volumes will be chosen so as not to inconvenience participants.
This technique is based on the observation of the dilatation of the pupil during the perception of a nociceptive stimulus in test persons.
Pain tolerance
Delay (in seconds) in removing the hand when testing the Cold Pressor.
Time frame: at inclusion
Onset of pain
Participant verbally indicates when he or she begins to feel the sensation of pain (time of onset measured in seconds).
Time frame: at inclusion
Pain intensity
Subjective assessment of maximum pain intensity by participants for a given trial. Measured by scale of 0 (no pain) at 100 (extreme pain).
Time frame: at inclusion
Correlation between NOL index and video pupillometry results
Measurement of the NOL index (index ranging from 0 to 100) and measurement of pupillary diameter and its variations (in mm) in response to nociceptive stimuli by video pupillometry.
Time frame: at inclusion
Plan to share: No
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Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne