Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026
09:00
Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram
Published on: July 7, 2023
4.4K
How words impact on pain
Alexander Ritter1, Marcel Franz2, Wolfgang H R Miltner2
1Section of Neurological Rehabilitation, Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
Brain and Behavior
|August 2, 2019
Summary
Wording before medical procedures impacts pain perception. Pain-related words amplified pain and brain activity more than negative words, supporting motivational priming and neural network theories.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Wording used before and during painful medical procedures can significantly influence perceived pain and discomfort.
- Two theories, motivational priming theory and the theory of neural networks, may explain these effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how negative, pain-related, and neutral words, used as priming stimuli before noxious stimuli, affect cortical processing and pain ratings.
- To determine the applicability of motivational priming theory and the theory of neural networks in explaining the impact of wording on pain perception.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to observe brain activity.
- Participants were exposed to noxious stimuli after being primed with negative, pain-related, or neutral words.
Main Results:
- Both negative and pain-related words, compared to neutral words, led to increased pain ratings and brain activation in several areas, supporting motivational priming theory.
- Pain ratings and activation in specific brain regions (somatosensory cortices, motor cortex, thalamus, etc.) were even greater for pain-related words than for negative words, supporting the theory of neural networks.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates that wording significantly influences pain perception.
- These findings have potential implications for clinical practice, suggesting that careful language use can modulate patient experiences of pain.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Impact of Groups on Groups
236
Social psychologists analyze how groups influence one another, shaping social structures and interactions through both cooperation and competition. These dynamics manifest in various ways, ranging from economic partnerships to intergroup conflicts that shape societal structures and perceptions.Cooperation and Competition in Intergroup RelationsIntergroup relationships vary across contexts, sometimes fostering cooperation and mutual benefit while at other times leading to conflict and...
236
01:20Pain
1.3K
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...
1.3K
01:30Impact
483
Impact occurs when two bodies collide, leading to the application of impulsive forces between them. Analyzing impact mechanics involves considering two colliding particles moving along a line known as the line of impact, which passes through their centers and is perpendicular to the contact plane.
When particles with different initial velocities collide, they induce deformation by applying equal and opposite impulses. At the point of maximum deformation, the particles move together with...
When particles with different initial velocities collide, they induce deformation by applying equal and opposite impulses. At the point of maximum deformation, the particles move together with...
483
01:19Impact Loading
670
Impact loading occurs when a moving object collides with a stationary structure, such as a rod with a uniform cross-sectional area fixed at one end. Under these conditions, the rod absorbs the kinetic energy from the striking object, leading to deformation and subsequent stress development. As the rod returns to its original position and reaches maximum stress, the absorbed energy, initially manifested as kinetic energy, transforms entirely into strain energy.
In cases of elastic deformation,...
In cases of elastic deformation,...
670
01:30Types of Impact
1.0K
Impacts can be classified in various forms, primarily under two subgroups: central impact and oblique impact. A central impact occurs when two objects collide head-on, possessing opposite velocities aligned along the line of impact. Conversely, an oblique impact occurs when two objects collide at an angle, resulting in a modification of both direction and velocity.
The coefficient of restitution is a metric for understanding the dynamics of impacts. It quantifies the ratio of relative velocity...
The coefficient of restitution is a metric for understanding the dynamics of impacts. It quantifies the ratio of relative velocity...
1.0K
01:26Impact: Problem Solving
441
In an experiment conducted during a Mars mission, a rover propels a projectile with an initial velocity, and the projectile rebounds after colliding with the Martian surface. To ascertain the maximum height attained by the projectile after this collision, the known restitution coefficient and acceleration due to gravity are employed.
By designating the launch point as the origin and utilizing kinematic equations, the vertical component of the projectile's velocity at the point of impact is...
By designating the launch point as the origin and utilizing kinematic equations, the vertical component of the projectile's velocity at the point of impact is...
441