Trial reportBMC musculoskeletal disorders2023
A single session of action observation therapy versus observing a natural landscape in adults with chronic neck pain - a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05078489 (Acute Effects of Action Observation on Pain Intensity, Muscle Strength, Tactile Acuity and Pressure Pain Threshold.), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Acute Effects of Action Observation on Pain Intensity, Muscle Strength, Tactile Acuity and Pressure Pain Threshold.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- EEG Biomarkers During Upper-Limb Action Observation Therapy for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review.Annals of biomedical engineering · 2026Review
- Mirror Neurons and Pain: A Scoping Review of Experimental, Social, and Clinical Evidence.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Neurorehabilitation-Based Movement Representation Techniques in the Management of Craniocervical and Orofacial Pain: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Article
- Effects of active action observation on cognitive, emotional, motor, and somatosensory outcomes in adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a prospective exploratory case series.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAction observation (AO) has emerged as a potential neurorehabilitation therapy for patients with neck pain (NP), but evidence of its effectiveness is scarce. This study aims to assess the effect of a single session of AO when compared to observing a natural landscape on NP intensity, fear of movement, fear-avoidance beliefs, neck muscles' strength, pressure pain threshold, and tactile acuity.
methodsSixty participants with NP were randomly allocated to the AO group (n = 30) or control group (n = 30). Both groups watched an 11-minute video: the AO group watched a video of a person matched for age and sex performing neck exercises, while the control group watched a video of natural landscapes. Neck pain intensity, fear of movement, fear-avoidance beliefs, tactile acuity, pressure pain thresholds, and neck muscle strength were assessed both at baseline and post-intervention. General linear models of repeated measures (ANCOVA of two factors) were used to explore between-group differences at post-intervention.
resultsThere was a significant main effect of time for pain intensity (p = 0.02; η2p = 0.09; within-group mean change and 95% CI: AO=-1.44 (-2.28, -0.59); control=-1.90 (-2.74, -1.06), but no time versus group interaction (p = 0.46). A time versus group significant interaction was found for one out of the six measurement sites of two-point discrimination and the neck flexors strength (p < 0.05) favoring the control group. No other statistically significant differences were found for the remaining variables).
conclusionsResults suggest a similar acute benefit for both a single session of AO and observing natural landscapes for promoting hypoalgesia, but no impact on kinesiophobia, fear-avoidance beliefs, or pressure pain thresholds. Also, AO had no positive effect on two-point discrimination and muscle strength. Further research is needed, with longer interventions.
trial registrationClinialtrials.gov (NCT05078489).
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.