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Related Concept Videos

Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
Pain01:20

Pain

Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
Nociception01:44

Nociception

Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain. Thus, pain helps the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Real-time Video Projection in an MRI for Characterization of Neural Correlates Associated with Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain
11:29

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Published on: April 20, 2019

The rescripting of pain images.

Clare Philips1, Debbie Samson

  • 1Back in Motion Rehabilitation Centre, Richmond, BC, Canada. clarephilips@yahoo.com

Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
|September 7, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Pain sufferers can easily rescript distressing Index images, significantly reducing pain, emotion, and negative appraisals. These improvements in pain management are independent of emotional changes and not due to image repetition.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Pain Management
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Background:

  • Pain sufferers often visualize distressing images (Index images) that intensify pain and negative emotions.
  • The potential for pain sufferers to alter these Index images and the resulting effects are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of rescripting Index images on pain sufferers' emotions, appraisals, and pain experience.
  • To determine if altering distressing mental imagery can alleviate pain.

Main Methods:

  • 55 pain sufferers underwent a voluntary image induction procedure (VIE) to establish baseline pain, appraisal, and emotion levels.
  • Participants were randomly assigned to either rescript their Index images or repeat them.
  • Groups were compared based on their responses to Index and rescripted images.

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Optimizing Photoneuromodulation Techniques to Evaluate the Role of Green Light-Emitting Diodes in Pain Management
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Real-time Video Projection in an MRI for Characterization of Neural Correlates Associated with Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain
11:29

Real-time Video Projection in an MRI for Characterization of Neural Correlates Associated with Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain

Published on: April 20, 2019

Multi-Modal Signals for Analyzing Pain Responses to Thermal and Electrical Stimuli
09:16

Multi-Modal Signals for Analyzing Pain Responses to Thermal and Electrical Stimuli

Published on: April 5, 2019

Optimizing Photoneuromodulation Techniques to Evaluate the Role of Green Light-Emitting Diodes in Pain Management
09:03

Optimizing Photoneuromodulation Techniques to Evaluate the Role of Green Light-Emitting Diodes in Pain Management

Published on: March 28, 2025

Main Results:

  • Participants found rescripting Index images easy, reporting significant reductions in emotion, negative appraisals, and pain.
  • Pain reduction was clinically and statistically significant, occurring independently of emotional changes.
  • Nearly half (49%) of participants reported no pain while viewing rescripted images, with levels below baseline.

Conclusions:

  • Index images in pain sufferers are easily elicited and can be effectively rescripted.
  • Rescripting significantly reduces pain, emotions, and cognitions without being a mere effect of image repetition.
  • Pain reduction during rescripting is independent of emotional changes, suggesting a direct cognitive mechanism for pain relief.