Chronic pain patients show reduced conditioned pain modulation, with effective responses reported in 50% of patients compared with more than 80% of healthy individuals. Researchers will test the “inhibition gap window” hypothesis, which proposes that delayed activation of inhibitory mechanisms allows pain signals to proceed with insufficient modulation. High-temporal-resolution electroencephalography and quantitative sensory testing will characterize the timing of inhibitory engagement and examine alpha oscillations associated with pain processing. Findings may establish temporal dynamics as another dimension of pain inhibition beyond response magnitude and determine whether the inhibition gap window merits further study as a potential marker of pain chronification risk or treatment response.