The Impact of Insomnia on Pain Sensitivity and the Trajectory of Exercise-induced Muscular Pain
The Impact of Insomnia on Pain Sensitivity and the Trajectory of Exercise Induced Muscular Pain: a Case Control Study
- Insomnia
- Healthy Adult
- Musculoskeletal Pain
- Pain Sensitivity
At a glance
- Phase
- Phase not stated
- Study type
- Observational
- Sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Enrolment target
- 80
- Started
- 26 August 2026
- Main results due
- 31 August 2027
- Study sites
- 1
- Registry updated
- 25 September 2026
Can you take part?
- Ages 18 years to 60 years.
- Open to any sex.
- Healthy volunteers can take part.
These are the headline rules only. Every study has a longer list, and whether you are eligible is decided by the research team at the site — never by this page.
Read the full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 to 60 years * Right hand and foot dominant Exclusion Criteria: * History of any chronic musculoskeletal pain or presence of existing pain during recruitment * Previous major injuries or surgery involving the lower limbs * Sleep disorders other than insomnia * Clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders * Contraindications to vigorous exercise identified through the physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q) * Work night shifts or rotating shift schedules * Pregnant
What this study is about
In the sponsor’s own words, from the registry.
Sleep is a critical determinant of physiological recovery and pain regulation. Growing evidence suggests that sleep disruption directly heightens central and peripheral pain sensitivity to sensory stimuli (e.g., mechanical pressure, thermal stimuli), serving as a significant risk factor for the onset and persistence of musculoskeletal pain. However, the precise mechanisms through which sleep quality regulates bodily sensory sensitivity and influences the onset, progression, and recovery trajectories of acute musculoskeletal pain in the general public remain insufficiently understood.
This study aims to investigate the relationship between sleep condition, pain sensitivity, and musculoskeletal pain dynamics in healthy adults from the general population, regardless of their physical activity levels. Utilizing a standardized, safe, and fully reversible exercise-induced muscle soreness (EIMS) protocol as an experimental pain model, this project will continuously evaluate participants' quantitative sensory testing (QST) profiles and sleep parameters.
The findings from this study will advance the mechanistic understanding of sleep-mediated pain modulation, providing evidence-based insights to inform future targeted sleep management and pain prevention interventions.
Study sites(1)
the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Recruiting
Showing 1 of 1 sites. 1 of the 1 site on this study is recruiting right now — a site can stop enrolling while the study as a whole is still open.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT07827664. Trialion does not run this study, is not paid to refer anyone to it, and cannot enrol you. Eligibility is always decided by the research team at the site.
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