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Understanding Pain Risk in Native Americans: Stress and Resilience

This observational study, called the Oklahoma Study of Native American Pain Risk III, aims to understand why Native American adults experience higher rates of chronic pain. Researchers want to see how experiences like structural racism and discrimination might affect the body's ability to handle pain. They are also looking at what positive factors, like resilience, might help protect against these negative effects. The study will measure how your body responds to pain at the beginning of the study. You can join if you are a Native American adult, at least 18 years old, and do not have certain health conditions or chronic pain already.

Study design
This is an observational study, meaning researchers will observe participants without giving any specific treatments. It plans to include 220 participants.
What's involved
Not specified in the trial record.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Not specified.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT05723081

Oklahoma Study of Native American Pain Risk III: Stress and Resilience

Recruiting
Not specifiedAges 18+Observational
University of Oklahoma
~220 participants
Updated 2025-04-02 on ClinicalTrials.gov

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Pain inhibition
Measured over baseline
+7 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Discrimination, Racial
Stress Physiology
Pain

Explore related trials

Pain

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Oklahoma1

Study leadership

  • Jamie L Rhudy, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Oklahoma

Who to contact

PLAN Lab
[email protected]
918-660-3048
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Self-identify as Native American/American Indian

Exclusion

\<18 years of age
Self-reported history of cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, musculoskeletal, or neurological disorders
Surrent chronic pain, defined as persistent, bothersome pain on more days than not for at least 3 months)
Self-reported current substance dependence
Sse of medication that could interfere with testing (e.g., recent use of analgesics, antidepressants, or anti-anxiety medications)
Inability to speak English
Current psychosis (assessed by Psychosis Screening Questionnaire)
Serious cognitive impairment (assessed by \<20 score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment \[MoCA\])
Possible peripheral neuropathy (assessed by nerve conduction study)

What this trial measures

  • Pain inhibitionbaseline

    Pain inhibition will be assessed using a conditioned pain modulation task with cold water as the conditioning stimulus and electric stimulations as the test stimulus.

  • Inhibition of pain-related spinal reflexbaseline

    Pain-related spinal reflex inhibition assessed from electromyogram will be assessed using a conditioned pain modulation task with cold water as the conditioning stimulus and electric stimulations as the test stimulus.

  • Inhibition of pain-evoked cortical potentialsbaseline

    Inhibition of pain-evoked cortical potentials from electroencephalography will be assessed using a conditioned pain modulation task with cold water as the conditioning stimulus and electric stimulations as the test stimulus.

  • Psychological stressbaseline

    A single latent variable measuring psychological stress will be created using principal components analysis to combine scores from three self-report questionnaires: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Global Distress Index of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and the PTSD Checklist-Civilian (PCL-C).

  • Somatic threat sensitivitybaseline

    A single latent variable measuring somatic threat sensitivity will be created using principal components analysis to combine scores from the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and a pain-related anxiety visual analog scale.

  • Allostatic loadbaseline

    A single latent variable for allostatic load will be created using principal components analysis to combine cardiovascular (i.e., resting blood pressure and heart rate, stress-evoked blood pressure and heart rate, and a fasting lipids profile \[HDL, LDL total cholesterol, and triglycerides\]), metabolic (i.e., BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, HbA1c), neuroendocrine (i.e., diurnal salivary cortisol, stress-evoked salivary cortisol), immune (i.e., hs-CRP), and parasympathetic (i.e., resting heart rate variability) variables.

  • Environmental structural racism and discriminationbaseline

    An index comprised of 11 environmental justice variables from the Environmental Protection Agency's publicly available Environmental Screening and Mapping Tool (EJSCREEN) will be created for each participant at the 2010 Census Block Group level. The 11 variables will be combined into a single index using principal components analysis.

  • Cultural connectednessbaseline

    A single latent variable of cultural connectedness will be created using principal components analysis to combine scores from five self-report scales: the Cultural Connectedness Scale, the Community Mastery Scale, the Vancouver Index of Acculturation, the American Indian Enculturation Scale, and the Native American Spirituality Scale