NCT05968313 Altered Neural Pain Empathic Reactivity in NSSI Adolescents
| NCT ID | NCT05968313 |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Phase | — |
| Sponsor | University of Electronic Science and Technology of China |
| Condition | Nonsuicidal Self Injury |
| Study Type | OBSERVATIONAL |
| Enrollment | 80 participants |
| Start Date | 2023-12-06 |
| Primary Completion | 2026-07 |
Eligibility & Interventions
Eligibility Fast-Check
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What to Expect as a Participant
This is an observational study. You will not receive an experimental treatment; researchers will collect data based on your existing condition or standard treatment.
This trial targets 80 participants in total. It began in 2023-12-06 with a primary completion date of 2026-07.
⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.
Brief Summary
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as direct, deliberate bodily harm without suicidal intention. In recent years, growing evidence suggests that NSSI has become a worldwide public health issue. People with NSSI behaviors, especially adolescents, commonly exhibit emotion-related and interpersonal problems. Pain empathy represents an essential basal domain of socio-emotional processing and refers to the ability to empathize, connect and share with others' pain. However, altered empathic processing has not been systematically examined in adolescents with NSSI. To this end, the current functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study will recruit one group of NSSI adolescents (n=40) and one healthy control (HC) group (n=40), to compare their neural activity regarding pain empathy processing, which is measured by blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI. The investigators included conditions of physical pain empathy (stimuli depicting noxious stimulation to the limbs) and affective pain empathy (stimuli depicting faces expressing pain) as well as corresponding control stimuli. The investigators hypothesize that compared to HC, NSSI adolescents show increased empathic reactivity to physical pain stimuli in salience and arousal related brain regions but decreased empathic reactivity to affective pain empathic stimuli.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 15-18 years * right-handed * normal or corrected normal visual acuity * meet the proposed DSM-5 frequency criteria (e.g., ≥5 days of NSSI behaviors in the past year) Exclusion Criteria: * diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder, other * psychiatric disorders, etc. * high suicidal risk * recent use of medications that can affect neural activity * have received or are receiving Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) other treatment for emotional problems within the past 6 months * have a contraindication to MRI scanning (e.g., metal implants, claustrophobia or other conditions that make them inappropriate for MRI scanning)
Contact & Investigator
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join the NCT05968313 clinical trial?
This trial is open to participants of all sexes, aged 15 Years or older, up to 18 Years, studying Nonsuicidal Self Injury. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.
Is NCT05968313 currently recruiting?
Yes, NCT05968313 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at ben_becker@gmx.de for enrollment information.
Where is the NCT05968313 trial being conducted?
This trial is being conducted at Chengdu, China.
Who is sponsoring the NCT05968313 clinical trial?
NCT05968313 is sponsored by University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. The trial plans to enroll 80 participants.