Effects of Pain on Attention Using an iPad Game

The Effect of Pain on Short Term Cognitive Performance Using a Computer Assisted/Ipad Game Interface

NA · Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NCT03115788

This study tests how feeling cold or warm pain affects attention and memory while healthy volunteers play an iPad game.

Quick facts

PhaseNA
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment60 (estimated)
Ages18 Years to 55 Years
SexAll
SponsorWake Forest University Health Sciences (other)
Locations1 site (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)
Trial IDNCT03115788 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study investigates how thermal pain, induced by cold or warm stimuli, affects cognitive performance in healthy volunteers using an iPad game called the nine choice human game (5CH). Participants will play the game under different conditions: without pain, during cold or warm pain, and after recovery. The study aims to quantify any short-term reductions in attention and memory due to pain. Outcomes will be measured using median cue duration and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are healthy male and non-pregnant female volunteers aged 18-55 without any cognitive impairments or medical conditions that could affect their ability to participate.

Not a fit: Patients with learning disabilities, psychomotor impairments, or any neurological disorders may not benefit from this study due to their exclusion from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could enhance our understanding of how pain impacts cognitive function, potentially leading to better pain management strategies in clinical settings.

How similar studies have performed: While the specific approach of using an iPad game to assess cognitive function under pain is novel, similar studies have explored the effects of pain on cognitive performance with varying degrees of success.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Healthy male and non-pregnant female volunteers between the ages of 18-55.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Any reported learning disabilities, psychomotor impairment including diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, seizures, debilitating neurologic disorders (muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, etc.), genetic diseases, heart disease, stroke, or memory deficits; anything that would impair the ability to hold the iPAD and perform the computer gaming tasks (i.e. blindness, color blindness, upper extremity dysfunction or pain). Also any history of cold induced impaired circulation, cold agglutinins or Raynaud's or insensitivity to cold.

Where this trial is running

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Cognitive Function, Thermal, ipad, game

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.