Related Experiment Videos
Responsiveness to verbal instruction during anesthesia: a pilot report.
J Hudesman1, M Tjeuw, P Collins
1New York Technical College, City University of New York, Brooklyn 11201.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|April 1, 1991
Summary
Forehead muscle tension increased significantly when patients were instructed to tense their muscles during surgery. This suggests that suggestions can influence physiological responses even during invasive procedures.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Surgical Medicine
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Understanding the influence of suggestion on physiological responses during surgery is crucial for patient care.
- Surgical environments present unique challenges for studying volitional control and suggestion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of direct suggestion on forehead muscle tension in patients undergoing surgery.
- To determine if patients can modulate muscle activity based on verbal cues during a surgical procedure.
Main Methods:
- Five surgical patients were instructed to tense their forehead muscles during a surgical procedure.
- Electromyography (EMG) or manual muscle assessment was used to quantify forehead muscle tension.
- Muscle tension was compared between periods with and without suggestion.
Main Results:
- Forehead muscle tension was significantly greater during suggestion periods compared to non-suggestion periods.
- This effect was observed in 11 out of 12 trials across the five patients.
- Patients demonstrated a measurable physiological response to verbal suggestion during surgery.
Conclusions:
- Verbal suggestion can effectively increase forehead muscle tension in surgical patients.
- This finding highlights the potential impact of psychological factors on physiological responses during invasive procedures.
- Further research could explore the implications for pain management and patient cooperation during surgery.