Auditory Analgesia: Somatosensory Evoked Response and Subjective Pain Rating

Subjective rating responses and averaged evoked responses (AERs) to shock stimuli of varying intensity were recorded in 20 subjects to examine the possible analgesic effects of sound stimulation (music) and suggested analgesia. Subjects (10 men, 10 women, ages 19–31) were divided into two groups of 10, each receiving the sound‐suggestion condition and the no‐sound, no‐suggestion condition in different order. Sound and suggestion produced the following significant (p<.05) effects: 1) increased electrical stimulus levels required to elicit discomfort ratings; 2) decreased slope of somatosensory AER amplitudes plotted against stimulus intensity; and 3) decreased mean AER amplitudes. These AER effects were greatest in time bands centered on the P100 component. Prior exposure to the electrical stimuli also reduced AER slopes and mean amplitudes, but mostly in time bands centered on the P200 component.