Creativity and Motivation in Chronic Pain: Brain Circuits and How Art Therapy May Help
Official title: Behavioural Study in Chronic Pain : Creativity and Motivation, and Circuits Involved in Functional MRI
Run by Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild · NCT06502496 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether art-therapy and relaxation can influence creativity, motivation, and brain circuits in adults with chronic pain.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 48 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild Research network |
| Locations | 1 site (Paris, Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 15, 2025 |
| Main results expected | January 2029 |
| Study ends | January 2029 |
| Registry record updated | October 30, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06502496 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults 18 years and older with chronic pain who can consent, attend protocol visits, and are suitable for MRI.
✕Probably not a fit
Individuals with progressive neurological or major depressive disorders, high opioid use, or contraindications to MRI may not benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This interventional study investigates how creative tasks and relaxation affect brain circuits involved in flexibility and perseverance in adults with chronic pain. Participants will undergo functional MRI to explore fronto-striatal circuits and dopamine-related pathways while engaging in creative and relaxation activities. The study uses art-based therapy alongside relaxation techniques to observe potential changes in brain activity and behavioral measures of creativity and motivation. Recruitment includes adults with chronic pain who meet safety criteria and can tolerate MRI procedures. The trial does not have a traditional drug phase and will be conducted at a single Paris institution.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, participants may experience changes in creativity, motivation, and brain circuit function that could inform new supportive therapies for chronic pain.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that nonpharmacologic interventions can modulate brain circuits related to motivation and reward in chronic pain, though this specific art-therapy plus MRI approach is exploratory.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Patient aged 18 and over * Consent to participate in the study * Available for protocol visits * Treated for chronic pain Exclusion Criteria: * Progressive neurodegenerative neurological pathology impairing cognitive function * Untreated clinical depressive syndrome * Fibromyalgia in the foreground * High doses of opioid treatment (greater than 100 mg/d of morphine equivalent) * Impaired judgement or inability to receive information that prevents performance of behavioural tasks * Absolute contraindication to MRI (e.g. pacemaker and implantable stimulator not MRI compatible, intra-orbital metallic foreign body); * Persons benefiting from a legal protection measure * Pregnant or breast-feeding women * Patient deprived of liberty * Patient suffering from mental disorders
Where it's running
-
Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild
Paris, Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild, France Recruiting
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Cognitive Rehabilitation of Everyday Goals With GMT: How Different Ways of Delivery Work
This study tests Goal Management Training to see if a Swedish version helps adults with acquired brain injury or chronic pain improve practical goal-directed thinking and daily functioning.
-
One-time Pain Reprocessing Therapy session for chronic pain at The Ottawa Hospital
A single four-hour session of Pain Reprocessing Therapy is being tested to see if it can help adults with chronic pain feel better and have less pain.
-
Meaning-Based Psychotherapy for Adults with Chronic Pain
This trial tests whether Meaning-Based Psychotherapy helps adults with chronic pain feel more purposeful, feel less depressed, and have a better quality of life compared with optimized usual care therapy.
-
How chronic pain changes over time in kids with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
This study is following children and teens with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy for 6 months to see how their chronic pain changes and how it affects daily life.
-
CBD for Opioid Dependence and Pain on Buprenorphine
This study tests whether different doses of cannabidiol (CBD) can affect pain and opioid cravings in adults with opioid use disorder who are on buprenorphine, using a short, randomized, placebo-controlled setup.
-
Cebranopadol for opioid withdrawal in adults with chronic pain
This study tests whether cebranopadol can reduce withdrawal symptoms in adults with chronic pain who are physically dependent on prescribed opioids, compared with placebo.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.