Background: The way the brain processes rewards and punishments may play a role in some disorders of the nervous system. People with chronic overlapping pain conditions (such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome \[ME/CFS\]) may have heightened responses to unpleasant, punishing sensations. Some of these conditions may also cause heightened responses to effort; this is an unpleasant sensation felt during physical and mental exertion. Objective: To learn more about how the brain processes different unpleasant sensations. Eligibility: People aged 18 to 50 years with ME/CFS. Healthy volunteers are also needed. Design: Participants will have 3 visits in 1 to 5 weeks. Visit 1: Participants may have a neurologic exam. They will have a mock magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. They will lie on a bed in a wooden tube while they practice 2 tasks: Thermal pain rating: A device that creates mild to moderate heat will be placed on one leg. Physical effort rating: Participants will squeeze a plastic bar with different levels of force. Visit 2: Participants will have a real MRI scan. They will lie on a table that slides into a large tube. Visit 3: Participants will have another MRI scan. They will repeat the thermal pain and physical effort tasks while in the scanner. Sensors will be placed on 1 arm to measure how the muscles function as they squeeze the bar. Their heart rate will be tested: They will hold their finger against a camera lens for 1 minute. They will do 2 other tasks: 1 requires repeatedly pressing a key on a keyboard, and the other requires squeezing a bar.
Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic
Background: The way the brain processes rewards and punishments may play a role in some disorders of the nervous system. People with chronic overlapping pain conditions (such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome \[ME/CFS\]) may have heightened responses to unpleasant, punishing sensations. Some of these conditions may also cause heightened responses to effort; this is an unpleasant sensation felt during physical and mental exertion. Objective: To learn more about how the brain processes different unpleasant sensations. Eligibility: People aged 18 to 50 years with ME/CFS. Healthy volunteers are also needed. Design: Participants will have 3 visits in 1 to 5 weeks. Visit 1: Participants may have a neurologic exam. They will have a mock magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. They will lie on a bed in a wooden tube while they practice 2 tasks: Thermal pain rating: A device that creates mild to moderate heat will be placed on one leg. Physical effort rating: Participants will squeeze a plastic bar with different levels of force. Visit 2: Participants will have a real MRI scan. They will lie on a table that slides into a large tube. Visit 3: Participants will have another MRI scan. They will repeat the thermal pain and physical effort tasks while in the scanner. Sensors will be placed on 1 arm to measure how the muscles function as they squeeze the bar. Their heart rate will be tested: They will hold their finger against a camera lens for 1 minute. They will do 2 other tasks: 1 requires repeatedly pressing a key on a keyboard, and the other requires squeezing a bar.
Functional Neuroimaging to Detect the Neural Signatures of the Unpleasantness of Pain and Effort
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National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.
18 Years to 50 Years
ALL
No
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS),
Eric M Wassermann, M.D., PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
2034-06-30