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Nocebo Effect on Pain Perception and Attention with Children With and Without Attention Deficit And/Or Hyperactivity

Carmen-Édith Belleï-Rodriguez1,2,3,4, Luana Colloca3, Dominique Lorrain2,4,5

  • 1Department of Research in Health Sciences, Faculty of Medecine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|October 8, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Negative expectations, or nocebo effects, similarly impact pain and attention in children with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These effects are linked to inattention, anxiety, and sleep issues in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Perception Research

Background:

  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) presents significant challenges for children.
  • Childhood expectations can influence medical treatment efficacy and educational outcomes, particularly through nocebo effects.
  • Understanding nocebo effects is crucial for managing pediatric health and learning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the nocebo effect on pain perception and attention in children with and without ADHD.
  • To investigate the relationship between the nocebo effect and personal variables like anxiety, sleep, and pain catastrophizing.
  • To characterize how negative expectations influence cognitive and sensory processing in children.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 30 children, with and without ADHD.
  • Induction of nocebo effects using an inactive pill to simulate increased pain and attention deficits.
  • Assessment of thermal pain perception via a computerized visual analog scale and attention abilities using the Stop-Signal Task.
  • Utilized questionnaires to gather data on personal variables such as anxiety and sleep quality.

Main Results:

  • Nocebo treatment similarly increased pain perception and attention deficits (inhibition time) across all participants when groups were combined.
  • The magnitude of the nocebo effect on pain perception did not differ between children with and without ADHD.
  • Associations were found between the nocebo response for pain and attention and factors including inattention, learning difficulties, anxiety, and sleep problems.

Conclusions:

  • Children's expectations significantly influence pain perception and attention, highlighting the importance of managing these expectations.
  • Negative suggestions can have detrimental effects on elementary school children's sensory and cognitive functions.
  • This research underscores the need to address psychological factors in pediatric care and education to mitigate negative outcomes.
Abstract

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