An observational study in University Students, sponsored by Amasya University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 25 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-03.
Sponsored by Amasya University · Observational
The goal of this observational study is to predict (retrospective and prospective) musculoskeletal pain in university students using machine learning models based on electrical threshold measurements and interoceptive awareness. The main question it aims to answer is:
Can electrical sensory, motor, and pain thresholds, along with interoceptive awareness scores, predict musculoskeletal pain status in young adults using machine learning algorithms?
Participants will:
Complete demographic, healthy lifestyle (physical activity, sitting time, meal frequency), and substance use (ASSIST v3.0) questionnaires.
Complete self-report surveys including the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2).
Undergo quantitative electrical threshold testing on their dominant hand, which includes 3 consecutive measurements of sensory threshold, motor threshold (after a 10-minute rest), and pain threshold (after another 10-minute rest).
The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal pain, electrical threshold values, and interoception in healthy university students, and to evaluate the predictive accuracy of machine learning models for both retrospective and prospective musculoskeletal pain.
Designed as an observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study with a prospective follow-up component, this study will include approximately 550 healthy, right-hand dominant students aged 18-25 who provide written informed consent.
Participants' demographic data and healthy lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sitting time, nutrition, and tobacco/alcohol/substance use via ASSIST) will be recorded. Musculoskeletal complaints will be evaluated using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and interoception will be assessed using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-II. Finally, electrical sensory, motor, and pain thresholds will be measured using a combined electrotherapy device with electrodes placed over the flexor muscles of the forearm. One week later, participants will be contacted again to re-evaluate their pain complaints during the preceding 7 days.
In statistical analyses, in addition to correlation and regression analyses among parameters, the performance of three machine learning models-Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and XGBoost-in predicting participants' retrospective and prospective pain will be evaluated.
The research results will demonstrate several key outcomes. First, they will elucidate the relationship between musculoskeletal pain, electrical threshold values, and interoception in university students, while testing the utility of electrical threshold values as an objective tool in musculoskeletal pain assessment. Furthermore, the study will evaluate the accuracy of machine learning models in predicting both retrospective and prospective pain within this population. By leveraging objective measurements obtained from widely accessible clinical devices, the findings will contribute to digital health approaches and applications that guide researchers and clinicians throughout pain evaluation and treatment processes. Ultimately, this work will provide critical insights into the efficacy of the proposed research methodology before its implementation in diverse patient populations.
10,054 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain; 1,649 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 550 is above the median of 100 across 1,252 observational studies indexed under Pain.
Browse Pain studies →Amasya University is the lead sponsor of 81 studies on the registry; 23 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
University students with healthy lifestyle
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion criteria:
Criteria for withdrawal from the study:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort
No Intervention: Observational Cohort
Retrospective Pain
Self-reported musculoskeletal pain presence and anatomical localization over the preceding 12 months and past 7 days, assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). The NMQ is a standardized screening instrument that evaluates musculoskeletal symptoms (pain, ache, or discomfort) across 9 distinct body regions (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands, upper back, lower back, hips/thighs, knees, and ankles/feet).
Time frame: baseline
Prospective Pain
Presence and anatomical site of self-reported prospective musculoskeletal pain or discomfort experienced during the 1-week follow-up period. Participants will be re-evaluated via a structured telephone or digital questionnaire inquiring about any newly developed or ongoing musculoskeletal pain symptoms in the preceding 7 days. Pain presence is recorded as a binary outcome (Yes/No) for overall pain and for specific body regions.
Time frame: 1 week post-baseline
Electrical Sensory, Motor, and Pain Thresholds
Quantitative evaluation of somatosensory processing using a standardized monochromatic combined electrotherapy device (Intelect Advanced Monochromatic Combo). Electrodes 5x5 cm will be placed over the wrist flexor muscles on the anterior aspect of the dominant forearm using a symmetric biphasic square wave (100 Hz frequency, 100 µs phase duration, current increased at a rate of 1 mA/s). Three threshold parameters will be measured in milliamperes (mA):Electrical Sensory Threshold (EST): The minimum current intensity at which the participant first perceives a tingling or sensory stimulus.Electrical Motor Threshold (EMT): The minimum current intensity required to elicit a visible muscle contraction.Electrical Pain Threshold (EPT): The minimum current intensity at which the electrical sensation first becomes painful.
Time frame: baseline
Interoceptive Awareness
Multidimensional self-reported interoceptive bodily awareness assessed using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-2 (MAIA-2) scale. The MAIA-2 is a 37-item questionnaire evaluated on a 6-point Likert scale (0= Never to 5=Always) across 8 distinct subscales: Noticing, Not-Distracting, Not-Worrying, Attention Regulation, Emotional Awareness, Self-Regulation, Body Listening, Trust. Subscale scores are calculated as the mean of their respective items (range: 0 to 5), with higher scores indicating higher levels of interoceptive awareness.
Time frame: baseline
Plan to share: Yes
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Dec 2026; primary completion for Jan 2028, 13 months later.
Of 504 non-industry observational studies under Pain, half reached primary completion within 18 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 8 and three quarters within 42. This study's planned 13 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 519 studies reached it within 18 months; a quarter within 8 and three quarters within 41.
Start moved once since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026: Oct 2026 → Dec 2026, on Nov 3, 2026.
Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Amasya University