Could Self-distancing Alter the Perception of Experimental Pain?

NCT05511857 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: LinneausU
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 292
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Physical pain leads to a narrow, egocentric focus on the self, in the here and now, particularly when experienced at high intensity levels. When long-term pains are experienced, this narrow focus could be debilitating, since attention to the pain itself may increase its perceived intensity and it could increase negative emotional processes that further contribute to pain-related suffering. One way of overcoming this could be by adopting a more distant view of oneself and the pain, thereby making the pain more abstract. An established way of creating distance is by reflecting on the self, using one's own name and second or third-person singular pronouns, so called third-person self-talk. Earlier research has reported that a psychologically distant perspective could reduce emotional distress when reflecting on negative experiences, reduce feelings of anger after provocation and to lower blood pressure. Self-distancing should thus help people mentally reconstrue their pain experience and possibly make the pain signals less cognitively salient. In this experimental study, healthy participants will be induced with pain while performing different tasks.

Conditions

Pain, Experimental

Keywords

Pain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Pain tolerance

  The amount of time in seconds the participant can withhold their hand in the cold pressor test.

  At the test session, the amount of time in seconds the participant withhold their hand in a cold water bath while engaging in self-talk will be measured. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year.

• Pain intensity

  The estimated experimental pain intensity on the Numerical Rating Scale. Minimum value of the Numerical Rating Scale is 0, which is equivalent with no pain. Maximum value of the Numerical Rating Scale is 10 which is equivalent of worst imaginable pain.

  The participant will be asked to estimate their pain from the hand (immersed in cold water) on the Numerical Rating Scale at the experimental test session. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year.

• Pain-related fear

  The estimated pain-related fear on the Numerical Rating Scale. Minimum value 0 and maximum value 10.

  The participant will be asked to estimate their pain-related fear accompanying the pain they felt when the hand was immersed in cold water on the Numerical Rating Scale. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year.

• Change in blood pressure before and during pain induction.

  The difference score between the blood pressure before the pain induction and the blood pressure during the pain induction will be compared between the different groups. For example, the difference score between the blood pressure in the self-distanced, third-person self-talk condition will be compared to the difference score in the self-immersed, first-person self-talk condition.

  The blood-pressure will be measured at the beginning of each test session and during the pain induction during each condition. Data will be collected until study completion, approximately 1 year..

Study Arms (4)

The effect of a self-distanced view on pain perception.

EXPERIMENTAL

The participant will exert self-distanced, third-person self-talk following a cue-card while induced with experimental pain.

Behavioral: Self-distancing, third-person self-talk.

The effect of a self-immersed view on pain perception.

EXPERIMENTAL

The participant will exert self-immersed, first-person self-talk following a cue-card while induced with experimental pain.

Behavioral: Self-immersed, first-person self-talk.

The effect of non-view, self-talk on pain perception.

EXPERIMENTAL

The participant will exert self-talk following a cue-card while induced with experimental pain.

Behavioral: Distraction

Pain perception in induced, experimental pain.

NO INTERVENTION

Control group. This group will be induced with experimental pain, but will receive no specific task to exert.

Interventions

Self-distancing, third-person self-talk. BEHAVIORAL

The participants will engage in self-distancing, third-person self-talk.

The effect of a self-distanced view on pain perception.

Self-immersed, first-person self-talk. BEHAVIORAL

The participants will engage in self-immersed, first-person self-talk.

The effect of a self-immersed view on pain perception.

Distraction BEHAVIORAL

The participants will engage in a distraction task.

The effect of non-view, self-talk on pain perception.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• No known disease affecting the nervous system.
• Swedish comprehension.
• Age over 18 years old.

You may not qualify if:

• Experiencing clinical pain at the test session.
• Known disease affecting the nervous system.
• Inadequate Swedish comprehension.
• Age under 18 years old.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Linnaeus University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Helena Gunnarsson

Vaxjo, Kronoberg County, 35195, Sweden

RECRUITING

Related Publications (5)

• Ayduk, Ö., Kross, E. (2010). Analyzing Negative Experiences Without Ruminating: The Role of Self-Distancing in Enabling Adaptive Self-Reflection. Soc Personal Psychol Compass, 841-854. 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00301.

  BACKGROUND

• Loewenstein G. Out of control: visceral influences on behavior. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process. 1996;65(3):272-292.

  BACKGROUND

• Mischkowski, D., Kross, E., Bushman, B.J. (2012). Flies on the wall are less aggressive: Self-distancing "in the heat of the moment" reduces aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, and aggressive behavior. J Exp Soc Psychol 48, 1187-1191.

  BACKGROUND

• Orvell A, Vickers BD, Drake B, Verduyn P, Ayduk O, Moser J, Jonides J, Kross E. Does distanced Self-Talk Facilitate Emotion Regulation Across a Range of Emotionally Intense Experiences? Clin Psych Sci 2021; 9: 68-78.

  BACKGROUND

• Gunnarsson H, Agerstrom J. Pain From a Distance: Can Third-Person Self-Talk Mitigate Pain Sensitivity and Pain Related Distress During Experimentally Induced Pain? Psychol Rep. 2024 Aug 1:332941241269520. doi: 10.1177/00332941241269520. Online ahead of print.

  PMID: 39091032 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain

Interventions

Osteogenesis, Distraction

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Bone Lengthening; Orthopedic Procedures; Surgical Procedures, Operative

Study Officials

• Helena Gunnarsson, PhD

  Linnaeus University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Helena Gunnarsson, PhD

CONTACT

+46708432509; helena.gunnarsson@lnu.se

Jens Agerström, Professor

CONTACT

jens.agerstrom@lnu.se

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Senior lecturer

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 16, 2022
• First Posted: August 23, 2022
• Study Start: September 7, 2022
• Primary Completion: June 9, 2024
• Study Completion: June 9, 2024
• Last Updated: September 19, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SE (1)