Motor imagery to improve function in adults with chronic low back pain
Official title: Impact of Motor Imagery in the Functional Rehabilitation of Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: a Randomised Controlled Trial
Run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon · NCT07111286 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether guided motor imagery sessions can help adults with chronic non-specific low back pain reduce fear of movement and improve daily function.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 72 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Dijon) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 22, 2026 |
| Main results expected | March 2028 |
| Study ends | March 2028 |
| Registry record updated | January 27, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07111286 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults with chronic non-specific low back pain lasting more than six months who are eligible for a multimodal rehabilitation program and can give informed consent.
✕Probably not a fit
People with radicular pain with significant motor deficit, major non-spinal conditions that limit mobility, planned lumbar surgery within a year, pregnancy, or inability to consent are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a randomized controlled trial at CHU Dijon Bourgogne comparing repeated motor imagery task sessions to control cognitive task sessions as part of a multimodal rehabilitation pathway for chronic non-specific low back pain. Participants receive baseline and follow-up clinical assessments, ongoing motor imagery or cognitive tasks, and evaluations of satisfaction and tolerance. Primary outcomes focus on functional ability, kinesiophobia, and patient-reported pain and quality of life measures. The protocol excludes patients with major neurologic or orthopedic conditions, significant mobility-limiting comorbidities, planned lumbar surgery, or inability to consent.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, motor imagery could reduce fear-related avoidance and help patients regain daily and professional activities with less pain-related limitation.
How similar studies have gone: Motor imagery has shown promise in small studies for stroke and some chronic pain conditions, but evidence specifically for chronic low back pain is limited and mixed.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult patient * Person who has given their verbal consent * Suffering from chronic non-specific low back pain that has been ongoing for more than 6 months * Eligible for a multimodal rehabilitation programme according to the investigating physician Exclusion Criteria: * Persons not affiliated with or not covered by a social security scheme * Patients subject to legal protection measures (guardianship, curatorship) * Patients subject to judicial protection measures * Pregnant women, women in labour or breastfeeding women * Adults who are incapacitated or unable to give their consent * Patients with a history of repeated falls * Scheduled lumbar spine surgery in the coming year * Associated conditions other than spinal conditions (orthopaedic, neurological, vascular, cardiac, etc.) that could significantly impair mobility * Radicular involvement (sciatica or cruralgia) with motor deficit \< 3 in the lower limbs * Impaired comprehension skills making self-assessment impossible * Patients with poorly controlled epilepsy * Individuals who are not fluent in English * Patients who have already completed a multimodal rehabilitation programme in a specialised centre
Where it's running
-
CHU Dijon Bourgogne
Dijon, France Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Sophie BIZE
- Email: sophie.bize@chu-dijon.fr
- Phone: 03 80 29 57 38
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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.