scholarly journals Use of Pain Threshold Reports to Satisfy Social Needs

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Control Variable ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Pain Thresholds ◽  
High Baseline

OBJECTIVE: To examine the hypothesis that experimental threats to social belongingness, interacting with individual differences in attachment security, cause modification of pain threshold reports by individuals who report high pain thresholds at baseline.METHODS: In each of three studies, baseline pain threshold and tolerance were assessed in response to a pain task (cold pressor pain in Studies 1 and 2, finger pressure pain in Study 3). Participants then completed a measure of attachment security and were randomly assigned to a social exclusion or control condition (exclusion from a computer game in Study 1, recalling past rejection experiences in Studies 2 and 3). The pain task was administered again to examine the effects on pain threshold and tolerance.RESULTS: Those with high anxious attachment and high baseline pain thresholds reported higher postmanipulation pain thresholds in the exclusion conditions than in the control conditions. Those with low anxious attachment and high baseline pain thresholds reported lower postmanipulation pain thresholds in the exclusion conditions than in the control conditions. No differences were found for pain tolerance.CONCLUSIONS: Across studies, results suggested that postmanipulation pain threshold reports of individuals with high baseline pain thresholds were particularly responsive to social exclusion. The form of the response was dependent on the level of anxious attachment. The present studies provide evidence that variance in pain threshold reports not accounted for by pain intensity may reflect the use of pain reports to satisfy social needs. This work also suggests that baseline measures of pain thresholds may, in interaction with psychological variables, have predictive power beyond serving as a control variable.

scholarly journals Swearing as a response to pain: Assessing hypoalgesic effects of novel “swear” words

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Stephens ◽  
Olly May Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Neutral Word ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Independent Variable ◽  
Cold Pressor Pain

Background: This pre-registered study extends previous findings that swearing alleviates pain tolerance by assessing the effects of a conventional swear word (“fuck”) and two new “swear” words, “fouch” and “twizpipe”.Method: A mixed sex group of participants (N = 92) completed a repeated measures experimental design augmented by mediation analysis. The independent variable was Word with the levels, “fuck” v. “fouch” v. “twizpipe” v. a neutral word. The dependent variables were emotion rating, humour rating, distraction rating, cold pressor pain threshold, cold pressor pain tolerance, pain perception score and change from resting heart rate. Possible mediation effects were assessed for emotion, humour and distraction ratings. Results: For conventional swearing (“fuck”), confirmatory analyses found a 32% increase in pain threshold and a 33% increase in pain tolerance, accompanied by increased ratings for emotion, humour and distraction, relative to the neutral word condition. The new “swear” words, “fouch” and “twizpipe” were rated higher than the neutral word for emotion and humour although these words did not affect pain threshold or tolerance. Changes in heart rate, pain perception and were absent, as were mediation effects.Conclusions: Our data replicate previous findings that repeating a swear word at a steady pace and volume benefits pain tolerance, extending this finding to pain threshold. Our data cannot explain how such effects are manifest, although distraction appears to be of little importance, and emotion is worthy of future study. The new “swear” words did not alleviate pain even though participants rated them as emotion evoking and humorous.

scholarly journals Aging Independently of the Hormonal Status Changes Pain Responses in Young Postmenopausal Women

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yannick Tousignant-Laflamme ◽  
Serge Marchand
Keyword(s):  
Postmenopausal Women ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Hormonal Status ◽  
Pain Pathways ◽  
Pain Ratings ◽  
The Mean

Both aging and hormonal status have an effect on pain perception. The goal of this study was to isolate as much as possible the effect of aging in postmenopausal women. Thirty-two women with regular menstrual cycles (RMW) and 18 postmenopausal women (PMW) underwent a 2-minute cold pressor test (CPT) to activate DNIC with a series of tonic heat pain stimulations with a contact thermode to assess ascending pain pathways. We found that this procedure induced much less pain during the first 15 seconds of stimulation the PMW group (P=0.03), while the mean thermode pain ratings, pain tolerance, pain threshold, and DNIC analgesia were similar for both groups (P>0.05). The absence of the peak pain in the PMW was probably due to reduced function of the myelinated Aδ fibers that naturally occurs with age.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Personality Characteristics and Acute Pain Response in Postadolescent Males

1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barton P. Buxton ◽  
David H. Perrin
Keyword(s):  
Acute Pain ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Personality Characteristic ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Personality Characteristics ◽  
Pain Response ◽  
Myers Briggs Type Indicator ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between personality characteristics, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) (form G), and an acute pain response in 107 postadolescent men. Subjects included 107 military school cadets. Each subject performed a cold pressor test (CPT) and was evaluated for pain threshold and pain tolerance times. Each was then evaluated for preference on eight personality characteristics: extraversion, introversion, sensing, intuition, thinking, feeling, judging, and perception. The personality characteristics were measured by the MBT1 (form G). Pearson product-moment correlations between the pain threshold and tolerance times and the eight personality characteristic scores were nonsignificant. The results indicated there was no relationship between the eight personality characteristics, as measured by the MBTI (form G), and pain threshold or pain tolerance, as measured by the CPT, The findings also indicated a low correlation between pain threshold and pain tolerance (r=.25).

scholarly journals An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Age and Sex/Gender on Pain Sensitivity in Healthy Human Participants

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanan El-Tumi ◽  
Mark I. Johnson ◽  
Osama A. Tashani
Keyword(s):  
Pain Sensitivity ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Pressure Pain Threshold ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Heat Pain ◽  
Detection Thresholds ◽  
Pressure Pain ◽  
Heat Pain Threshold ◽  
Cold Pressor Pain

Background: Ageing is associated with alterations of the structure and function of somatosensory tissue that can impact on pain perception. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between age and pain sensitivity responses to noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli in healthy adults. Methods: 56 unpaid volunteers (28 women) aged between 20 and 55 years were categorised according to age into one of seven possible groups. The following measurements were taken: thermal detection thresholds, heat pain threshold and tolerance using a TSA-II NeuroSensory Analyzer; pressure pain threshold using a handheld electronic pressure algometer; and cold pressor pain threshold, tolerance, intensity and unpleasantness. Results: There was a positive correlation between heat pain tolerance and age (r = 0.228, P = 0.046), but no statistically significant differences between age groups for cold or warm detection thresholds, or heat pain threshold or tolerance. Forward regression found increasing age to be a predictor of increased pressure pain threshold (B = 0.378, P = 0.002), and sex/gender to be a predictor of cold pressor pain tolerance, with women having lower tolerance than men (B = -0.332, P = 0.006). Conclusion: The findings of this experimental study provide further evidence that pressure pain threshold increases with age and that women have lower thresholds and tolerances to innocuous and noxious thermal stimuli. Significance: The findings demonstrate that variations in pain sensitivity response to experimental stimuli in adults vary according to stimulus modality, age and sex and gender.

scholarly journals Pain and Ethnicity in Athletes

1993 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barton P. Buxton ◽  
David H. Perrin ◽  
Ronald K. Hetzler ◽  
Kwok W. Ho ◽  
Joe H. Gieck
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Acute Pain ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Pain Response ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between ethnicity and acute pain response in male athletes. Subjects included 93 male athletes (age = 18.65 ± .58 years) of differing ethnicity. Each subject performed a Cold Pressor Test (CPT) and was evaluated for pain threshold and pain tolerance times. Two one-way analyses of variance were performed to analyze the data. The results indicated that significant differences existed in pain tolerance times between ethnic groups (p<.05). However, no differences were observed in pain threshold times. These findings support the existence of a difference in pain tolerance between ethnic groups in collegiate athletes.

scholarly journals Effect of Sub-maximal Exercise Stress on Cold Pressor Pain: A Gender Based Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
BR Pokhrel ◽  
SL Malik ◽  
AH Ansari ◽  
BJ Paudel ◽  
R Sinha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Maximal Exercise ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Exercise Stress Test ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Exercise Stress ◽  
Acute Bout ◽  
Cold Pressor Pain ◽  
Pain Test

Background Analgesic effect of exercise is a well established fact; however available reports are contradictory on gender differences in pain perception following exercise stress test. Objective The current study is prospectively designed to evaluate and compare the effect of acute bout of sub-maximal exercise stress on cold pressor pain in normal adult males and females. Method The experimental study design involved healthy adults (n= 41); females (n = 18) and males (n=23) aged between 18 to 25 years and included them into four sets of experiments: SET I (Control), “resting blood pressure, radial pulse and respiratory rate were recorded after 15 minutes of complete supine relaxation. SET II (Cold Pressor Pain Test): Pain Threshold, Pain Tolerance, and Pain Duration in seconds were taken. SET III (Exercise Stress Test): Sub-maximal exercise of 70 to 75% of maximum predicted heart rate was given for 6 minutes. SET IV (Cold Pressor Pain Test immediately after Exercise Stress Test): At 0 minute of recovery again the pain parameters; Pain Threshold, Pain Tolerance, and Pain Duration in seconds were taken. SET I, SET II were performed in order on the first day and SET III and SET IV on the second day to ensure only a single Cold Pressor Pain Test is performed in each day. Result The data (Mean ±SD) analysis showed significant increased in pain threshold (males: 14.36±10.6 Vs 21.47±13seconds, p<0.001, females: 14.1±11.5 Vs 23.81± 20.22 seconds, p<0.001) and pain tolerance time (males: 41.3±19.31Vs 54.1±21.7 seconds, p<0.001) in both sexes after 6 min of acute bout of sub-maximal exercise stress test with comparable age, BMI and baseline resting values of pain parameters and pulse rate and blood pressure. The percentage increment pain tolerance time following the exercise stress in female is higher than male (78.6 Vs 68.9%). Conclusion The result suggests that pain sensation decreases immediately after a brief period of exercise challenge irrespective of gender, and the analgesic effect of the acute bout of exercise in terms of pain tolerant time is more enhanced in females than males. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v11i1.11028 Kathmandu University Medical Journal Vol.11(1) 2013: 54-59

scholarly journals Social laughter is correlated with an elevated pain threshold

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1731) ◽  
pp. 1161-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. I. M. Dunbar ◽  
Rebecca Baron ◽  
Anna Frangou ◽  
Eiluned Pearce ◽  
Edwin J. C. van Leeuwen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Affect ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Social Bonding ◽  
Verbal Communication ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Pain Thresholds ◽  
Stage Performances ◽  
Proximate Explanation

Although laughter forms an important part of human non-verbal communication, it has received rather less attention than it deserves in both the experimental and the observational literatures. Relaxed social (Duchenne) laughter is associated with feelings of wellbeing and heightened affect, a proximate explanation for which might be the release of endorphins. We tested this hypothesis in a series of six experimental studies in both the laboratory (watching videos) and naturalistic contexts (watching stage performances), using change in pain threshold as an assay for endorphin release. The results show that pain thresholds are significantly higher after laughter than in the control condition. This pain-tolerance effect is due to laughter itself and not simply due to a change in positive affect. We suggest that laughter, through an endorphin-mediated opiate effect, may play a crucial role in social bonding.

scholarly journals Sweet taste does not modulate pain perception in adult humans

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Elizabeth R Mooney ◽  
Alexander J Davies ◽  
Anthony E Pickering
Keyword(s):  
Animal Studies ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Specific Effect ◽  
Sweet Taste ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Heat Pain ◽  
Pain Thresholds ◽  
Heat Pain Threshold ◽  
Adult Humans

Background: Sugar is routinely used to comfort neonates undergoing painful procedures, and animal studies have shown that sucrose increases the time to withdrawal from painful stimuli. However, there are no published studies examining the effects of sweet substances on heat pain thresholds and percept in adult humans. Methods: Healthy adult volunteers (n=27, aged 18-48 years) were recruited to a controlled, double-blind, randomised, cross-over study to characterise the effect of tasting solutions of equivalent sweetness (10% sucrose and 0.016% sucralose) on warm detection and heat pain thresholds and the percept ratings of painfully hot stimuli. The effect of anticipation of a sweet taste on heat pain threshold was also assessed. Results: Tasting either sucrose or sucralose had no significant effect on the percept of an individually titrated hot stimulus (54.5±4.2 and 54.9±3.2 vs 53.2±3.5 for water, 0-100 visual analogue scale), on the warm detection or heat pain threshold (43.3±0.8, 43.2±0.8 vs 43.0±0.8°C). Anticipation of a sweet substance similarly did not affect heat pain thresholds. Conclusions: Sucrose and sucralose solutions had no analgesic effect when assessed using heat detection thresholds and percept ratings of painfully hot stimuli despite being perceived as sweeter and more pleasant than water. These findings are in contrast to results reported from previous animal studies in which thermal analgesia from sweet solutions is robust. Given the ubiquitous availability of sugar rich drinks in the modern environment, the lack of observable effect may be due to an insufficient hedonic value of the test solutions when compared to the experience of a laboratory rodent. Alternatively, sweet tastes may have a specific effect on pain tolerance rather than the threshold and acute percept measures assayed in this study.

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