University StudentsNCT07839520
Pain Prediction Via Machine Learning: Electrical Thresholds and Interoception
An observational study of University Students, run by Amasya University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
The goal of this observational study is to predict (retrospective and prospective) musculoskeletal pain in university students using machine learning models based on electrical threshold measurements and interoceptive awareness. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 25 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- University Students
- How many people
- 550 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2026to 1 Jan 2028
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 25 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Study population: University students with healthy lifestyle
Who may be able to join
- Being healthy and aged 18-25
- Having the right hand as the dominant extremity
- Being able to communicate effectively and understand the study procedure
- Being willing to participate in the study and having signed the written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Presence of continuous or periodic pain in the same region over the last 3 months (presence of chronic pain)
- Presence of sleep problems
- History of severe menstrual or abdominal pain
- Diagnosis of an endocrinological, psychiatric, urogenital, neurological, dermatological, cardiorespiratory, or musculoskeletal disease and/or sleep disorder that could be related to the study outcomes
- Being pregnant or the possibility of pregnancy
- Criteria for withdrawal from the study:
- Deciding not to participate in the study and not wishing to complete the assessments
- Experiencing discomfort due to the assessments and measurements and not wishing to complete them
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Amasya University
Amasya, Amasya, 05100
Kübra Okuyucu, 0(358)2115005 ext. 4879, aybikesenel@hotmail.com
About this study
Official title: Machine Learning-Based Pain Prediction in University Students: Electrical Threshold Measurements and Interoception
The goal of this observational study is to predict (retrospective and prospective) musculoskeletal pain in university students using machine learning models based on electrical threshold measurements and interoceptive awareness. The main question it aims to answer is:
Can electrical sensory, motor, and pain thresholds, along with interoceptive awareness scores, predict musculoskeletal pain status in young adults using machine learning algorithms?
Read more
Participants will:
Complete demographic, healthy lifestyle (physical activity, sitting time, meal frequency), and substance use (ASSIST v3.0) questionnaires.
Complete self-report surveys including the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2).
Undergo quantitative electrical threshold testing on their dominant hand, which includes 3 consecutive measurements of sensory threshold, motor threshold (after a 10-minute rest), and pain threshold (after another 10-minute rest).
Read the detailed description
The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal pain, electrical threshold values, and interoception in healthy university students, and to evaluate the predictive accuracy of machine learning models for both retrospective and prospective musculoskeletal pain.
Designed as an observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study with a prospective follow-up component, this study will include approximately 550 healthy, right-hand dominant students aged 18-25 who provide written informed consent.
Participants' demographic data and healthy lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sitting time, nutrition, and tobacco/alcohol/substance use via ASSIST) will be recorded. Musculoskeletal complaints will be evaluated using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and interoception will be assessed using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-II. Finally, electrical sensory, motor, and pain thresholds will be measured using a combined electrotherapy device with electrodes placed over the flexor muscles of the forearm. One week later, participants will be contacted again to re-evaluate their pain complaints during the preceding 7 days.
In statistical analyses, in addition to correlation and regression analyses among parameters, the performance of three machine learning models-Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and XGBoost-in predicting participants' retrospective and prospective pain will be evaluated.
The research results will demonstrate several key outcomes. First, they will elucidate the relationship between musculoskeletal pain, electrical threshold values, and interoception in university students, while testing the utility of electrical threshold values as an objective tool in musculoskeletal pain assessment. Furthermore, the study will evaluate the accuracy of machine learning models in predicting both retrospective and prospective pain within this population. By leveraging objective measurements obtained from widely accessible clinical devices, the findings will contribute to digital health approaches and applications that guide researchers and clinicians throughout pain evaluation and treatment processes. Ultimately, this work will provide critical insights into the efficacy of the proposed research methodology before its implementation in diverse patient populations.
- Conditions
- University Students
- Being tested
- No Intervention: Observational Cohort
- Keywords
- pain, machine learning, interoception, electrical threshold tests
- Medical subject headings
- Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
No Intervention: Observational CohortOther
No Intervention: Observational Cohort
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| university students with healthy lifestyle | Not described Receives: Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Retrospective Pain
Self-reported musculoskeletal pain presence and anatomical localization over the preceding 12 months and past 7 days, assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). The NMQ is a standardized screening instrument that evaluates musculoskeletal symptoms (pain, ache, or discomfort) across 9 distinct body regions (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands, upper back, lower back, hips/thighs, knees, and ankles/feet).
Measured: baseline
Prospective Pain
Presence and anatomical site of self-reported prospective musculoskeletal pain or discomfort experienced during the 1-week follow-up period. Participants will be re-evaluated via a structured telephone or digital questionnaire inquiring about any newly developed or ongoing musculoskeletal pain symptoms in the preceding 7 days. Pain presence is recorded as a binary outcome (Yes/No) for overall pain and for specific body regions.
Measured: 1 week post-baseline
Electrical Sensory, Motor, and Pain Thresholds
Quantitative evaluation of somatosensory processing using a standardized monochromatic combined electrotherapy device (Intelect Advanced Monochromatic Combo). Electrodes 5x5 cm will be placed over the wrist flexor muscles on the anterior aspect of the dominant forearm using a symmetric biphasic square wave (100 Hz frequency, 100 µs phase duration, current increased at a rate of 1 mA/s). Three threshold parameters will be measured in milliamperes (mA):Electrical Sensory Threshold (EST): The minimum current intensity at which the participant first perceives a tingling or sensory stimulus.Electrical Motor Threshold (EMT): The minimum current intensity required to elicit a visible muscle contraction.Electrical Pain Threshold (EPT): The minimum current intensity at which the electrical sensation first becomes painful.
Measured: baseline
Interoceptive Awareness
Multidimensional self-reported interoceptive bodily awareness assessed using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-2 (MAIA-2) scale. The MAIA-2 is a 37-item questionnaire evaluated on a 6-point Likert scale (0= Never to 5=Always) across 8 distinct subscales: Noticing, Not-Distracting, Not-Worrying, Attention Regulation, Emotional Awareness, Self-Regulation, Body Listening, Trust.
Subscale scores are calculated as the mean of their respective items (range: 0 to 5), with higher scores indicating higher levels of interoceptive awareness.
Measured: baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Sep 2026
- Study start1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jan 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for University StudentsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 550 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Amasya University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Aybike Senel, Amasya University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07839520
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 19092026-AS
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 13 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Machine Learning-Based Pain Prediction in University Students: Electrical Threshold Measurements and Interoception
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07839520
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 19092026-AS
- Conditions
- University Students
- Keywords
- pain, machine learning, interoception, electrical threshold tests
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 550 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Amasya UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this observational study is to predict (retrospective and prospective) musculoskeletal pain in university students using machine learning models based on electrical threshold measurements and interoceptive awareness. The main question it aims to answer is:
Can electrical sensory, motor, and pain thresholds, along with interoceptive awareness scores, predict musculoskeletal pain status in young adults using machine learning algorithms?
Participants will:
Complete demographic, healthy lifestyle (physical activity, sitting time, meal frequency), and substance use (ASSIST v3.0) questionnaires.
Complete self-report surveys including the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2).
Undergo quantitative electrical threshold testing on their dominant hand, which includes 3 consecutive measurements of sensory threshold, motor threshold (after a 10-minute rest), and pain threshold (after another 10-minute rest).
Detailed description
The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal pain, electrical threshold values, and interoception in healthy university students, and to evaluate the predictive accuracy of machine learning models for both retrospective and prospective musculoskeletal pain.
Designed as an observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study with a prospective follow-up component, this study will include approximately 550 healthy, right-hand dominant students aged 18-25 who provide written informed consent.
Participants' demographic data and healthy lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sitting time, nutrition, and tobacco/alcohol/substance use via ASSIST) will be recorded. Musculoskeletal complaints will be evaluated using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and interoception will be assessed using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-II. Finally, electrical sensory, motor, and pain thresholds will be measured using a combined electrotherapy device with electrodes placed over the flexor muscles of the forearm. One week later, participants will be contacted again to re-evaluate their pain complaints during the preceding 7 days.
In statistical analyses, in addition to correlation and regression analyses among parameters, the performance of three machine learning models-Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and XGBoost-in predicting participants' retrospective and prospective pain will be evaluated.
The research results will demonstrate several key outcomes. First, they will elucidate the relationship between musculoskeletal pain, electrical threshold values, and interoception in university students, while testing the utility of electrical threshold values as an objective tool in musculoskeletal pain assessment. Furthermore, the study will evaluate the accuracy of machine learning models in predicting both retrospective and prospective pain within this population. By leveraging objective measurements obtained from widely accessible clinical devices, the findings will contribute to digital health approaches and applications that guide researchers and clinicians throughout pain evaluation and treatment processes. Ultimately, this work will provide critical insights into the efficacy of the proposed research methodology before its implementation in diverse patient populations.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| university students with healthy lifestyle | – | Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- University students with healthy lifestyle
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Being healthy and aged 18-25
- Having the right hand as the dominant extremity
- Being able to communicate effectively and understand the study procedure
- Being willing to participate in the study and having signed the written informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Presence of continuous or periodic pain in the same region over the last 3 months (presence of chronic pain)
- Presence of sleep problems
- History of severe menstrual or abdominal pain
- Diagnosis of an endocrinological, psychiatric, urogenital, neurological, dermatological, cardiorespiratory, or musculoskeletal disease and/or sleep disorder that could be related to the study outcomes
- Being pregnant or the possibility of pregnancy
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| No Intervention: Observational CohortNo Intervention: Observational Cohort | Other | university students with healthy lifestyle |
Primary outcome
Retrospective Pain
Time frame: baseline
Self-reported musculoskeletal pain presence and anatomical localization over the preceding 12 months and past 7 days, assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). The NMQ is a standardized screening instrument that evaluates musculoskeletal symptoms (pain, ache, or discomfort) across 9 distinct body regions (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands, upper back, lower back, hips/thighs, knees, and ankles/feet).
Prospective Pain
Time frame: 1 week post-baseline
Presence and anatomical site of self-reported prospective musculoskeletal pain or discomfort experienced during the 1-week follow-up period. Participants will be re-evaluated via a structured telephone or digital questionnaire inquiring about any newly developed or ongoing musculoskeletal pain symptoms in the preceding 7 days. Pain presence is recorded as a binary outcome (Yes/No) for overall pain and for specific body regions.
Electrical Sensory, Motor, and Pain Thresholds
Time frame: baseline
Quantitative evaluation of somatosensory processing using a standardized monochromatic combined electrotherapy device (Intelect Advanced Monochromatic Combo). Electrodes 5x5 cm will be placed over the wrist flexor muscles on the anterior aspect of the dominant forearm using a symmetric biphasic square wave (100 Hz frequency, 100 µs phase duration, current increased at a rate of 1 mA/s). Three threshold parameters will be measured in milliamperes (mA):Electrical Sensory Threshold (EST): The minimum current intensity at which the participant first perceives a tingling or sensory stimulus.Electrical Motor Threshold (EMT): The minimum current intensity required to elicit a visible muscle contraction.Electrical Pain Threshold (EPT): The minimum current intensity at which the electrical sensation first becomes painful.
Interoceptive Awareness
Time frame: baseline
Multidimensional self-reported interoceptive bodily awareness assessed using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-2 (MAIA-2) scale. The MAIA-2 is a 37-item questionnaire evaluated on a 6-point Likert scale (0= Never to 5=Always) across 8 distinct subscales: Noticing, Not-Distracting, Not-Worrying, Attention Regulation, Emotional Awareness, Self-Regulation, Body Listening, Trust. Subscale scores are calculated as the mean of their respective items (range: 0 to 5), with higher scores indicating higher levels of interoceptive awareness.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of University Students, run by Amasya University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Aybike Şenel, Assistant Professor (+90 531 583 99 24, aybikesenel@hotmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Retrospective Pain (time frame: baseline). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Oct 2026.