Week 6 Flashcards
What are the learning outcomes for the lecture on pain perception?
Explain why we experience pain.
Describe the pain system.
Discuss cognitive factors affecting pain perception (e.g., placebo and nocebo effects).
Explore individual differences, including sex and gender differences, in pain perception
Why do we experience pain?
Warning signal: Prevents harm.
Cognitive role: Helps us learn to avoid or reduce pain in the future.
What are the three main types of pain?
Nociceptive Pain: Triggered by nociceptors (pain receptors).
Inflammatory Pain: Due to tissue damage or inflammation.
Neuropathic Pain: Caused by nervous system damage (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome).
What is the pain matrix?
A network of cortical and subcortical areas that process the sensory and emotional aspects of pain.
How does attention affect pain perception?
Distraction reduces pain.
Example: McCaul & Haugtevdt (1982): Participants tolerated cold water longer when distracted.
How does emotional state influence pain tolerance?
Pleasant images increase pain tolerance (De Wied & Verbaten, 2001).
Pleasant music reduces pain ratings (Roy et al., 2008).
What is the role of hypnosis in pain management?
Induces a trance-like state to reduce chronic pain.
Effectiveness depends on susceptibility to hypnosis.
How does empathy influence pain perception?
Observing others in pain activates emotional pain regions but not sensory pain regions in the brain (Singer et al., 2004).
What is the placebo effect?
Beneficial response to an inert treatment.
Influenced by factors such as pill type, colour, administration method, and expectancy.
What factors enhance the placebo effect?
Pill type: Branded pills are more effective.
Colour: Warm colours (e.g., red, yellow) stimulate; cool colours (e.g., blue, green) relax.
Administration: Treatments given by a doctor are more effective than automated administration.
What is the nocebo effect?
Negative response to an inert treatment.
Example: Subjects reported headaches after being told about a fake electrical current (Schweiger & Parducci, 1981).
What are the findings on sex/gender differences in pain perception?
Females: Lower tolerance for pressure and thermal pain.
No consistent differences: Pain intensity or unpleasantness across genders.
What factors influence sex/gender differences in pain perception?
Biological: Hormonal and genetic factors (small or inconsistent effects).
Psychological: Coping strategies, catastrophizing.
Social: Gender role expectations affect pain reporting.
What does clinical evidence suggest about sex/gender differences in pain?
Females experience higher prevalence of chronic pain conditions (e.g., migraines, musculoskeletal pain).
What are the cognitive mechanisms behind pain perception?
Placebo effects: Positive expectations reduce pain.
Nocebo effects: Negative expectations increase pai
