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Experience of peripheral temperature change during hypnotic analgesia
1Department of Psychology, Cleveland State University, OH 44115.
Summary
Hypnotic analgesia often causes a cold sensation, but this is psychological, not a physical temperature change. Researchers suggest this coldness can indicate the effectiveness of hypnotic pain reduction.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Pain Management
Background:
- Hypnotic analgesia is frequently associated with a reported sensation of coldness in the affected body area.
- The underlying cause of this perceived coldness—physical temperature change versus psychological factors—remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the reported coldness during hypnotic analgesia is due to actual peripheral temperature changes or psychological associations.
- To determine the validity of coldness as a manipulation check for hypnotic sensation reduction.
Main Methods:
- Experiments were conducted on subjects (Ss) experiencing hypnotic analgesia in limbs or the back of the neck.
- Peripheral temperature changes in the affected areas were measured.
- Subjects reported their subjective sensations, including coldness.
Main Results:
- No significant physical change in peripheral temperature was observed in the areas where hypnotic analgesia was induced.
- Subjects consistently reported experiencing coldness in the analgesic area despite the lack of physical temperature change.
Conclusions:
- The sensation of coldness during hypnotic analgesia is attributed to psychological associations between numbness/analgesia and a drop in peripheral temperature.
- Coldness can serve as a useful manipulation check to confirm the presence of reduced sensation through hypnotic analgesia.