Painful decisions: How classifying sensations can change the experience of pain

in European Journal of Pain (London, England) (2017)

Background: Categorizing perceptual stimuli is a mechanism for facilitating the processing of sensory input from our environment. This facilitation of perception is achieved through generalization ... [more ▼]

Background: Categorizing perceptual stimuli is a mechanism for facilitating the processing of sensory input from our environment. This facilitation of perception is achieved through generalization (assimilation) of stimulus characteristics within categories and accentuation between categories. These categorization processes have been demonstrated in visual, auditory, tactile and social perception, but never in pain perception. Method: We presented participants with six thermal noxious stimuli, increasing in steps of 0.5 °C. In an experimental group, stimuli were assigned to two categories labelled A and B containing the three lower (A1, A2, A3) and three higher (B1, B2, B3) stimuli. A control group did not receive such category information (stimuli were labelled S1–S6). In a first part of the experiment, participants simply rated pain intensity and unpleasantness for all stimuli. In a second part, we presented stimuli without labels and participants had to identify the label of each stimulus. Results: We found evidence for categorization effects in both pain ratings and stimulus identification data. In particular, unpleasantness ratings within categories were more similar to each other, and ratings between categories less similar, in the experimental compared to control group. Participants in the experimental group also confused stimuli more often within than between categories, and were more confident about category membership of stimuli at the category border, compared to participants in the control group. Conclusions: Mere category information, using abstract category labels, significantly changes pain perception. Implications for our understanding of cognitive pain modulation mechanisms, as well as clinical implications of categorization effects are discussed. Significance: Categorization effects in pain perception are demonstrated. Classifying and labelling painful events can modulate early perceptual processes, lead to under- or overestimation of pain symptoms and affect decision-making behaviour related to pain. [less ▲]

General hypervigilance in fibromyalgia: one swallow does not make a summer.

in European journal of pain (London, England) (2015), 19(4), 447-8

Pain catastrophizing influences the use and the effectiveness of distraction in schoolchildren.

in European journal of pain (London, England) (2012), 16(2), 256-67

Distraction is an intuitive way of coping with pain and is often used in children's pain treatment programs. However, empirical evidence concerning the effectiveness of distraction is equivocal. One ... [more ▼]

Distraction is an intuitive way of coping with pain and is often used in children's pain treatment programs. However, empirical evidence concerning the effectiveness of distraction is equivocal. One potential explanation might be that distraction does not work for everyone in every situation. In the current series of studies, we examined the role of pain catastrophizing as an influencing factor of distraction effectiveness. In the first study, we investigated the use of pain coping strategies (including distraction) in schoolchildren (N = 828, aged 8-18 years) by means of a questionnaire. Results indicated that children with higher levels of pain catastrophizing reported using less distraction strategies in daily life than children with lower levels of pain catastrophizing. In the second study, a subsample (N = 81, aged 9-18 years) performed a painful cold pressor task (CPT) (12 degrees C). Participants were randomly assigned to a distraction group, in which an attention-demanding tone-detection task was performed during the CPT, or a control group, in which no distraction task was performed. Results showed that participants in the distraction group were engaged in the distraction task, and reported to have paid less attention to pain than participants in the control group. However, distraction was ineffective in reducing cold pressor pain, and even intensified the pain experience in high catastrophizing children. Caution may be warranted in using distraction as a 'one size fits all' method, especially in high catastrophizing children. [less ▲]

Internal validity of inter-digital web pinching as a model for perceptual diffuse inhibitory controls -induced hypoalgesia in healthy humans

in European Journal of Pain (London, England) (2011), 15(1), 45-52

Differential physiological effects during tonic painful hand immersion tests using hot and ice water

in European Journal of Pain (London, England) (2010), 14(3), 266-272

Effects of chronic intermittent restraint stress on inflammation-related pain behavior and spinal cell activation in rats.

in European Journal of Pain (London, England) (2009), 13(1), 74-75