March 17, 2004Acta Physiologica Scandinavica

Mental stress inhibits pain perception and heart rate variability but not a nociceptive withdrawal reflex

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Why the study?

Does mental distraction or attention affect pain perception, heart rate variability, and nociceptive withdrawal reflex in male volunteers?

Structured PICO

Does mental distraction or attention affect pain perception, heart rate variability, and nociceptive withdrawal reflex in male volunteers?

Population

26 male volunteers

Intervention

Distraction induced by a mental arithmetic test (paced auditory serial addition task, PASAT) and attention induced by concentrating on painful foot stimulation during electrical stimulation of the sural nerve

Comparator

Baseline (before distraction and attention)

Outcome

Pain intensity (numeric rating scale), heart rate variability (mean-RR, SD-NN, high frequency power, low frequency power), and spinal withdrawal reflex (electromyographic reflex responses)surrogate

Mental distraction alters autonomic activity and inhibits pain perception but does not affect the spinal withdrawal reflex, suggesting supraspinal mechanisms for pain relief.

Discussion

No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.

Implication

Should not yet change clinical practice; hypothesis-generating for supraspinal attention effects on pain and autonomic activity.

Cite This Study

Terkelsen et al. (2004) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8a71e31acf8e321fbd7df5 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-201x.2004.01263.x

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Mental stress inhibits pain perception and heart rate variability but not a nociceptive withdrawal reflex

Structured PICO

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Mental stress inhibits pain perception and heart rate variability but not a nociceptive withdrawal reflex

Structured PICO

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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