Local and remote effects of hypnotic suggestions of analgesia

The present study was designed to further characterize hypnotic analgesia and particularly to examine whether the effects are due to a selective alteration of pain perception and are organized somatotopically. Thirty-two healthy volunteers participated in this study. Thermal detection thresholds for warmth and cool stimuli and heat pain thresholds were measured at both the upper and lower left limbs by means of a thermotest. Measurements were performed before, during and after a hypnotic session during which the subjects were administered a French adaptation of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale and then standardized suggestions of analgesia limited to the left foot. Heat pain thresholds were significantly increased at both the lower and upper limbs. Changes at the foot were positively correlated with the hypnotic susceptibility score, while, unexpectedly, changes at the hand were negatively correlated with the susceptibility score. Mean detection thresholds for warmth and cool stimuli were also altered at both the lower and upper limbs during hypnosis, but these modifications were correlated neither with susceptibility nor with the changes in heat pain threshold. These results indicate that hypnotic suggestions can selectively and somatotopically alter pain sensation in highly susceptible subjects. It is also suggested, however, that suggestions of analgesia can induce selective alterations of pain perception in poorly susceptible subjects, although these effects did not appear to be localized 'appropriately'.