1
|
Niedernhuber M, Schroeder AC, Lercher C, Bruegger M, Prates de Matos NM, Noreika V, Lenggenhager B. An interhemispheric frontoparietal network supports hypnotic states. Cortex 2024; 177:180-193. [PMID: 38865762 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the neural substrate of altered conscious states is an important cultural, scientific, and clinical endeavour. Although hypnosis causes strong shifts in conscious perception and cognition, it remains largely unclear how hypnosis affects information processing in cortical networks. Here we manipulated the depth of hypnotic states to study information processing between cortical regions involved in attention and awareness. We used high-density Electroencephalography (EEG) to record resting-state cortical activity from 30 hypnosis experts during two hypnotic states with different depth. Each participant entered a light and a deep hypnotic state as well as two well-matched control states. Bridging top-down and lateralisation models of hypnosis, we found that interhemispheric frontoparietal connectivity distinguished hypnosis and control conditions, while no difference was found between the two hypnotic states. Using a graph-theoretic measure, we revealed that the amount of information passing through individual nodes (measured via betweenness centrality) is reduced during hypnosis relative to control states. Finally, we found that theta power was enhanced during hypnosis. Our result contributes to the current discussion around a role for theta power in bringing about hypnotic states, as well as other altered conscious states. Overall, our findings support the notion that altered top-down control in frontoparietal regions facilitates hypnosis by integrating information between cortical hemispheres.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Niedernhuber
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Pl, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | - Céline Lercher
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mike Bruegger
- Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Plattenstrasse 11, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Valdas Noreika
- Department of Psychology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bigna Lenggenhager
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, University of Konstanzs, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Naccache L, Munoz-Musat E. A global neuronal workspace model of functional neurological disorders. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 26:1-23. [PMID: 38767966 PMCID: PMC11107854 DOI: 10.1080/19585969.2024.2340131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
We introduce here a general model of Functional Neurological Disorders based on the following hypothesis: a Functional Neurological Disorder could correspond to a consciously initiated voluntary top-down process causing involuntary lasting consequences that are consciously experienced and subjectively interpreted by the patient as involuntary. We develop this central hypothesis according to Global Neuronal Workspace theory of consciousness, that is particularly suited to describe interactions between conscious and non-conscious cognitive processes. We then present a list of predictions defining a research program aimed at empirically testing their validity. Finally, this general model leads us to reinterpret the long-debated links between hypnotic suggestion and functional neurological disorders. Driven by both scientific and therapeutic goals, this theoretical paper aims at bringing closer the psychiatric and neurological worlds of functional neurological disorders with the latest developments of cognitive neuroscience of consciousness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Naccache
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Hôpital Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, DMU Neurosciences, Paris, France
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, AP-HP, Hôpital Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, DMU Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Esteban Munoz-Musat
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Copa D, Erritzoe D, Giribaldi B, Nutt D, Carhart-Harris R, Tagliazucchi E. Predicting the outcome of psilocybin treatment for depression from baseline fMRI functional connectivity. J Affect Disord 2024; 353:60-69. [PMID: 38423367 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.02.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic drug under assessment as a potential therapy for treatment-resistant and major depression. Heterogeneous treatment responses raise interest in predicting the outcome from baseline data. METHODS A machine learning pipeline was implemented to investigate baseline resting-state functional connectivity measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as a predictor of symptom severity in psilocybin monotherapy for treatment-resistant depression (16 patients administered two 5 mg capsules followed by 25 mg, separated by one week). Generalizability was tested in a sample of 22 patients who participated in a psilocybin vs. escitalopram trial for moderate-to-severe major depression (two separate doses of 25 mg of psilocybin 3 weeks apart plus 6 weeks of daily placebo vs. two separate doses of 1 mg of psilocybin 3 weeks apart plus 6 weeks of daily oral escitalopram). The analysis was repeated using both samples combined. RESULTS Functional connectivity of visual, default mode and executive networks predicted early symptom improvement, while the salience network predicted responders up to 24 weeks after treatment (accuracy≈0.9). Generalization performance was borderline significant. Consistent results were obtained from the combined sample analysis. Fronto-occipital and fronto-temporal coupling predicted early and late symptom reduction, respectively. LIMITATIONS The number of participants and differences between the two datasets limit the generalizability of the findings, while the lack of a placebo arm limits their specificity. CONCLUSIONS Baseline neurophysiological measurements can predict the outcome of psilocybin treatment for depression. Future research based on larger datasets should strive to assess the generalizability of these predictions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Débora Copa
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ingeniería, Instituto de Bioingeniería, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - David Erritzoe
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Academic Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bruna Giribaldi
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Academic Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Nutt
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Academic Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robin Carhart-Harris
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Academic Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Psychedelics Division, Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Enzo Tagliazucchi
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Física, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Física Interdisciplinaria y Aplicada (INFINA), Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Moujaes F, Rieser NM, Phillips C, de Matos NMP, Brügger M, Dürler P, Smigielski L, Stämpfli P, Seifritz E, Vollenweider FX, Anticevic A, Preller KH. Comparing Neural Correlates of Consciousness: From Psychedelics to Hypnosis and Meditation. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024; 9:533-543. [PMID: 37459910 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods of inducing altered states of consciousness (ASCs) are becoming increasingly relevant in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. While comparisons between them are often drawn, to date no study has directly compared their neural correlates. METHODS To address this knowledge gap, we directly compared 2 pharmacological methods (psilocybin 0.2 mg/kg orally [n = 23] and lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD] 100 μg orally [n = 25]) and 2 nonpharmacological methods (hypnosis [n = 30] and meditation [n = 29]) using resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging and assessed the predictive value of the data using a machine learning approach. RESULTS We found that 1) no network reached significance in all 4 ASC methods; 2) pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions of inducing ASCs showed distinct connectivity patterns that were predictive at the individual level; 3) hypnosis and meditation showed differences in functional connectivity when compared directly and also drove distinct differences when jointly compared with the pharmacological ASC interventions; and 4) psilocybin and LSD showed no differences in functional connectivity when directly compared with each other, but they did show distinct behavioral-neural relationships. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results extend our understanding of the mechanisms of action of ASCs and highlight the importance of exploring how these effects can be leveraged in the treatment of psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flora Moujaes
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Nathalie M Rieser
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Christophe Phillips
- GIGA Cyclotron Research Centre in vivo imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Nuno M P de Matos
- Clinic of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mike Brügger
- Clinic of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Dürler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukasz Smigielski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Stämpfli
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland; MR Center, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Franz X Vollenweider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Katrin H Preller
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sim S, Maldonado IL, Castelnau P, Barantin L, El-Hage W, Andersson F, Cottier JP. Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation and hypnosis on magnetic resonance imaging: similarities and differences. A scoping review. J Neuroradiol 2024; 51:131-144. [PMID: 37981196 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurad.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mindfulness meditation (MM) and hypnosis practices are gaining interest in mental health, but their physiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aimed to synthesize the functional, morphometric and metabolic changes associated with each practice using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to identify their similarities and differences. METHODS MRI studies investigating MM and hypnosis in mental health, specifically stress, anxiety, and depression, were systematically screened following PRISMA guidelines from four research databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO) between 2010 and 2022. RESULTS In total, 97 references met the inclusion criteria (84 for MM and 13 for hypnosis). This review showed common and divergent points regarding the regions involved and associated brain connectivity during MM practice and hypnosis. The primary commonality between mindfulness and hypnosis was decreased default mode network intrinsic activity and increased central executive network - salience network connectivity. Increased connectivity between the default mode network and the salience network was observed in meditative practice and mindfulness predisposition, but not in hypnosis. CONCLUSIONS While MRI studies provide a better understanding of the neural basis of hypnosis and meditation, this review underscores the need for more rigorous studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sindy Sim
- CHRU de Tours, service de radiologie, Tours, France
| | | | - Pierre Castelnau
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France; Service de Neuropédiatrie et Handicaps, Hôpital Clocheville, CHRU, Tours, France; CUMIC, Collège Universitaire des Médecines Intégratives et Complémentaires, Nantes, France
| | | | - Wissam El-Hage
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France; CHRU de Tours, Clinique Psychiatrique Universitaire, Tours, France
| | | | - Jean-Philippe Cottier
- CHRU de Tours, service de radiologie, Tours, France; UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France; CUMIC, Collège Universitaire des Médecines Intégratives et Complémentaires, Nantes, France.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cruz-Sanabria F, Faraguna U, Panu C, Tommasi L, Bruno S, Bazzani A, Sebastiani L, Santarcangelo EL. Hypnotizability-related risky experience and behavior. Neurosci Lett 2024; 821:137625. [PMID: 38185203 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Risk is the probability of an adverse event. The proneness to take a risk and the risk taking behavior differ among the general population. Hypnotizability is a stable psychophysiological trait expressing the individual proneness to modify perception, memory and behavior following specific suggestions also in the ordinary state of consciousness. Some hypnotizability-related neurophysiological and behavioral correlates suggest that hypnotizability level, measured by standard scales classifying individuals as low (lows), medium (mediums) and high hypnotizable (highs) subjects, can be related to risk propensity and risk-taking. To study whether hypnotizability modulates risk propensity and behavior, we recruited healthy participants, classified through the Standford Hypnotic Susceptibility scale, form A, and compared lows' (n = 33), mediums' (n = 19) and highs'(n = 15) experiential and behavioral risk perception and propensity variables through the Domain-specific risk-taking scale and the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. MANOVA results indicated that different hypnotizability levels are not associated with different risky behavior and experience, except for higher expected financial benefits from risky behavior in lows. However, hypnotizability-related risk profiles were identified through correlational analyses. In fact, highs exhibited a negative association between risk perception and propensity to risk-taking, whereas mediums and lows displayed a positive association between risk propensity and expected benefit. In conclusion, the highs' profile indicates a more automatic behavior with respect to mediums and lows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francy Cruz-Sanabria
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ugo Faraguna
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Carola Panu
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Leonardo Tommasi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Simone Bruno
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Bazzani
- Institute of Management, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Sebastiani
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Institute of Information Science and Technologies "Alessandro Faedo" (ISTI-CNR), Pisa, Italy.
| | - Enrica L Santarcangelo
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
De Pascalis V. Brain Functional Correlates of Resting Hypnosis and Hypnotizability: A Review. Brain Sci 2024; 14:115. [PMID: 38391691 PMCID: PMC10886478 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14020115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
This comprehensive review delves into the cognitive neuroscience of hypnosis and variations in hypnotizability by examining research employing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and electroencephalography (EEG) methods. Key focus areas include functional brain imaging correlations in hypnosis, EEG band oscillations as indicators of hypnotic states, alterations in EEG functional connectivity during hypnosis and wakefulness, drawing critical conclusions, and suggesting future research directions. The reviewed functional connectivity findings support the notion that disruptions in the available integration between different components of the executive control network during hypnosis may correspond to altered subjective appraisals of the agency during the hypnotic response, as per dissociated and cold control theories of hypnosis. A promising exploration avenue involves investigating how frontal lobes' neurochemical and aperiodic components of the EEG activity at waking-rest are linked to individual differences in hypnotizability. Future studies investigating the effects of hypnosis on brain function should prioritize examining distinctive activation patterns across various neural networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vilfredo De Pascalis
- Department of Psychology, La Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- School of Psychology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Callara AL, Fontanelli L, Belcari I, Rho G, Greco A, Zelič Ž, Sebastiani L, Santarcangelo EL. Modulation of the heartbeat evoked cortical potential by hypnotizability and hypnosis. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14309. [PMID: 37070749 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Hypnotizability is a psychophysiological trait measured by scales and associated with several differences, including interoceptive accuracy and the morpho-functional characteristics of interoception-related brain regions. The aim of the study was to assess whether the amplitude of the heartbeat evoked cortical potential (HEP), a correlate of interoceptive accuracy, differs in participants with low (lows) and high (highs) hypnotizability scores (assessed by the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form A) before and after the induction of hypnosis. ECG and EEG were monitored in 16 highs and 15 lows during an experimental session, including open eyes baseline (B), closed eyes relaxation (R), hypnotic induction (IND), neutral hypnosis (NH), and post session baseline (Post). No significant difference was observed between groups and conditions in autonomic variables. The HEP amplitude was lower in highs than in lows at the right parietal site, likely due to hypnotizability related differences in the functional connection between the right insula and parietal cortex. It increased in highs and decreased in lows across the session, possibly due to the highs' preeminently internally directed attention and to the lows' possible disengagement from the task. Since interoception is involved in several cognitive-emotional functions, its hypnotizability related differences may contribute to the variability of experience and behavior in daily life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Luis Callara
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Fontanelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Iacopo Belcari
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Rho
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alberto Greco
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Research Center "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Žan Zelič
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Sebastiani
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrica L Santarcangelo
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zelič Ž, Sebastiani L, Santarcangelo EL. Association of Hypnotizability, Interoception, and Emotion. Int J Clin Exp Hypn 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37363858 DOI: 10.1080/00207144.2023.2226188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The present scoping review reports the reciprocal relations between hypnotizability, interoception, and emotion. Brain morpho-functional differences may account for the lower interoceptive accuracy, higher interoceptive sensitivity, and different emotional strategies observed in highly hypnotizable participants with respect to medium-to-low hypnotizables. Since interoception is relevant to both physical and mental health and hypnotizability can predict both interoceptive abilities and the efficacy of interoception-based mental training, this allows for the development of new forms of treatment and rehabilitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Žan Zelič
- Department of Translational Medicine and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Sebastiani
- Department of Translational Medicine and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrica Laura Santarcangelo
- Department of Translational Medicine and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gaddis A, Lidstone DE, Nebel MB, Griffiths RR, Mostofsky SH, Mejia AF, Barrett FS. Psilocybin induces spatially constrained alterations in thalamic functional organizaton and connectivity. Neuroimage 2022; 260:119434. [PMID: 35792293 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin and LSD, and other serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) agonists evoke acute alterations in perception and cognition. Altered thalamocortical connectivity has been hypothesized to underlie these effects, which is supported by some functional MRI (fMRI) studies. These studies have treated the thalamus as a unitary structure, despite known differential 5-HT2AR expression and functional specificity of different intrathalamic nuclei. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) has been previously used to identify reliable group-level functional subdivisions of the thalamus from resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) data. We build on these efforts with a novel data-maximizing ICA-based approach to examine psilocybin-induced changes in intrathalamic functional organization and thalamocortical connectivity in individual participants. METHODS Baseline rsfMRI data (n=38) from healthy individuals with a long-term meditation practice was utilized to generate a statistical template of thalamic functional subdivisions. This template was then applied in a novel ICA-based analysis of the acute effects of psilocybin on intra- and extra-thalamic functional organization and connectivity in follow-up scans from a subset of the same individuals (n=18). We examined correlations with subjective reports of drug effect and compared with a previously reported analytic approach (treating the thalamus as a single functional unit). RESULTS Several intrathalamic components showed significant psilocybin-induced alterations in spatial organization, with effects of psilocybin largely localized to the mediodorsal and pulvinar nuclei. The magnitude of changes in individual participants correlated with reported subjective effects. These components demonstrated predominant decreases in thalamocortical connectivity, largely with visual and default mode networks. Analysis in which the thalamus is treated as a singular unitary structure showed an overall numerical increase in thalamocortical connectivity, consistent with previous literature using this approach, but this increase did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS We utilized a novel analytic approach to discover psilocybin-induced changes in intra- and extra-thalamic functional organization and connectivity of intrathalamic nuclei and cortical networks known to express the 5-HT2AR. These changes were not observed using whole-thalamus analyses, suggesting that psilocybin may cause widespread but modest increases in thalamocortical connectivity that are offset by strong focal decreases in functionally relevant intrathalamic nuclei.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Gaddis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Daniel E Lidstone
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Mary Beth Nebel
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Roland R Griffiths
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Stewart H Mostofsky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Amanda F Mejia
- Department of Statistics, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA
| | - Frederick S Barrett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bicego A, Rousseaux F, Faymonville ME, Nyssen AS, Vanhaudenhuyse A. Neurophysiology of hypnosis in chronic pain: A review of recent literature. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS 2022; 64:62-80. [PMID: 34748463 DOI: 10.1080/00029157.2020.1869517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain is a complex phenomenon which includes biological, psychological, and socio-professional factors that undermine patients' everyday life. Currently, only few patients significantly benefit from pharmacological treatments and many have to stop them because of negative side effects. Moreover, no medication or treatment addresses all aspects of chronic pain at once (i.e., sensations, emotions, behaviors, and cognitions), positioning chronic pain as an important public health issue and thus contributing to high health-care costs. Consequently, patients and health-care providers are increasingly turning to complementary non-pharmacological techniques such as hypnosis. Clinical research has demonstrated a decrease of pain perception, pain interference, depression and anxiety, and an increase in global quality of life when patients with chronic pain have benefited from hypnosis learning. Neuroimaging studies offer a possible explanation of these results by focusing on neural processes of pain modulation in chronic pain patients' brain. Studies conducted with chronic pain patients showed a modulation of pain matrix activity during hypnosis with a specific involvement of the anterior cingulate cortex (related to emotional and cognitive processing of pain). Therefore, hypnosis seems to act upon regions underlying emotion and cognition, with an influence on pain perception and emotional regulation. In this review, we propose to carry out a review of the recent literature on hypnosis in chronic pain management. A better understanding of the beneficial effects of hypnosis on chronic pain and its neurophysiology should enable more systematic use of this technique in the management of this complex health problem.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aminata Bicego
- Sensation & Perception Research Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège
- Laboratory of Cognitive Ergonomics and Work Intervention, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Floriane Rousseaux
- Sensation & Perception Research Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège
- Laboratory of Cognitive Ergonomics and Work Intervention, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville
- Algology Department, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Sensation & Perception Research Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège
| | - Anne-Sophie Nyssen
- Sensation & Perception Research Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège
- Laboratory of Cognitive Ergonomics and Work Intervention, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse
- Algology Department, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Sensation & Perception Research Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Oakley DA, Walsh E, Mehta MA, Halligan PW, Deeley Q. Direct verbal suggestibility: Measurement and significance. Conscious Cogn 2021; 89:103036. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2020.103036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
13
|
Abstract
Hypnotizability is a dispositional trait reflecting the individual ability to modify perception, memory and behavior according to imaginative suggestions. It is measured by validated scales that classify the general population in high (highs), medium (mediums) and low (lows) hypnotizable persons, predicts the individual proneness to respond to suggestions, and is particularly popular in the field of the cognitive control of pain and anxiety. Different hypnotizability levels, however, have been associated with specific brain morpho-functional characteristics and with peculiarities in the cognitive, sensorimotor and cardiovascular domains also in the ordinary state of consciousness and in the absence of specific suggestions. The present scoping review was undertaken to summarize the asymmetries observed in the phenomenology and physiological correlates of hypnosis and hypnotizability as possible indices of related hemispheric prevalence. It presents the findings of 137 papers published between 1974 and 2019. In summary, in the ordinary state of consciousness, behavioral, neurophysiological and neuroimaging investigations have revealed hypnotizability related asymmetries mainly consisting of pre-eminent left hemisphere information processing/activation in highs, and no asymmetries or opposite directions of them in lows. The described asymmetries are discussed in relation to the current theories of hypnotizability and hypnosis.
Collapse
|
14
|
Palsson OS. Development and Validation of the Thought Impact Scale: A Measure of Subconscious Connectedness. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS 2020; 62:198-230. [PMID: 31928516 DOI: 10.1080/00029157.2018.1561415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Thought Impact Scale (TIS) is a new questionnaire designed to measure the theorized psychological characteristic of subconscious connectedness, defined as the degree to which nonconscious mental functions spontaneously interact with, and are accessible to, conscious awareness in everyday life. A principal reason for developing the TIS was the expectation that subconscious connectedness influences hypnosis treatment responses and seeking of hypnosis treatment. Two studies involving 1,216 subjects were carried out to validate the questionnaire. The TIS exhibited high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.93 and 0.95), good one-month test-retest reliability (r = 0.89), and convergent validity evidenced by substantial correlations with other measures hypothesized to partly assess the same construct: Absorption (r = 0.70), fantasy proneness (r = 0.54), dissociation (r = 0.50), and emotional empathy (r = 0.39). TIS scores were approximately normally distributed, higher in females than males, and declining with age. Exploratory factor analysis showed the TIS to be composed of a single dominant factor. High TIS scorers were 2.5 times as likely as low scorers to have undergone hypnosis treatment, 2.6 times as likely to report at least moderate benefit after hypnosis treatment, and 3.8 times as likely to consider themselves highly hypnotizable. High TIS scorers also more frequently reported being highly creative, art lovers, intuition-reliant, absentminded, spontaneous, novelty-seeking, and prone to form intense relationships. The TIS is a reliable and valid measure that is likely to be useful in clinical hypnosis practice and hypnosis research and for quantifying communication between conscious and nonconscious mental functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olafur S. Palsson
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cerebellar Structural Variations in Subjects with Different Hypnotizability. THE CEREBELLUM 2019; 18:109-118. [PMID: 30022466 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-018-0965-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Hypnotizability-the proneness to accept suggestions and behave accordingly-has a number of physiological and behavioral correlates (postural, visuomotor, and pain control) which suggest a possible involvement of cerebellar function and/or structure. The present study was aimed at investigating the association between cerebellar macro- or micro-structural variations (analyzed through a voxel-based morphometry and a diffusion tensor imaging approach) and hypnotic susceptibility. We also estimated morphometric variations of cerebral gray matter structures, to support current evidence of hypnotizability-related differences in some cerebral areas. High (highs, N = 12), and low (lows, N = 37) hypnotizable healthy participants (according to the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, form A) were submitted to a high field (3 T) magnetic resonance imaging protocol. In comparison to lows, highs showed smaller gray matter volumes in left cerebellar lobules IV/V and VI at uncorrected level, with the results in left lobule IV/V maintained also at corrected level. Highs showed also gray matter volumes smaller than lows in right inferior temporal gyrus, middle and superior orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and supramarginal parietal gyrus, as well as in left gyrus rectus, insula, and middle temporal cortex at uncorrected level. Results of right inferior temporal gyrus survived also at corrected level. Analyses on micro-structural data failed to reveal any significant association. The here found morphological variations allow to extend the traditional cortico-centric view of hypnotizability to the cerebellar regions, suggesting that cerebellar peculiarities may sustain hypnotizability-related differences in sensorimotor integration and emotional control.
Collapse
|
16
|
Trujillo-Rodríguez D, Faymonville ME, Vanhaudenhuyse A, Demertzi A. Hypnosis for cingulate-mediated analgesia and disease treatment. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2019; 166:327-339. [PMID: 31731920 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64196-0.00018-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Hypnosis is a technique that induces changes in perceptual experience through response to specific suggestions. By means of functional neuroimaging, a large body of clinical and experimental studies has shown that hypnotic processes modify internal (self-awareness) as well as external (environmental awareness) brain networks. Objective quantifications of this kind permit the characterization of cerebral changes after hypnotic induction and its uses in the clinical setting. Hypnosedation is one such application, as it combines hypnosis with local anesthesia in patients undergoing surgery. The power of this technique lies in the avoidance of general anesthesia and its potential complications that emerge during and after surgery. Hypnosedation is associated with improved intraoperative comfort and reduced perioperative anxiety and pain. It ensures a faster recovery of the patient and diminishes the intraoperative requirements for sedative or analgesic drugs. Mechanisms underlying the modulation of pain perception under hypnotic conditions involve cortical and subcortical areas, mainly the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices as well as the basal ganglia and thalami. In that respect, hypnosis-induced analgesia is an effective and highly cost-effective alternative to sedation during surgery and symptom management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Trujillo-Rodríguez
- Physiology of Cognition Research Lab, GIGA-Consciousness, GIGA Institute B34, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - M-E Faymonville
- Algology Department, Liège University Hospital and Sensation and Perception Research Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - A Vanhaudenhuyse
- Algology Department, Liège University Hospital and Sensation and Perception Research Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - A Demertzi
- Physiology of Cognition Research Lab, GIGA-Consciousness, GIGA Institute B34, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Landry M, Lifshitz M, Raz A. Brain correlates of hypnosis: A systematic review and meta-analytic exploration. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 81:75-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Revised: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
18
|
Hypnosis and top-down regulation of consciousness. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 81:59-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
|
19
|
Entwistle PA. A Pragmatic Guide to the Setting up of Integrated Hypnotherapy Services in Primary Care and Clinical Settings. Int J Clin Exp Hypn 2017; 65:257-295. [PMID: 28506141 DOI: 10.1080/00207144.2017.1314720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite the continued debate and lack of a clear consensus about the true nature of the hypnotic phenomenon, hypnosis is increasingly being utilized successfully in many medical, health, and psychological spheres as a research method, motivational tool, and therapeutic modality. Significantly, however, although hypnotherapy is widely advertised, advocated, and employed in the private medical arena for the management and treatment of many physical and emotional disorders, too little appears to be being done to integrate hypnosis into primary care and national health medical services. This article discusses some of the reasons for the apparent reluctance of medical and scientific health professionals to consider incorporating hypnosis into their medical practice, including the practical problems inherent in using hypnosis in a medical context and some possible solutions.
Collapse
|
20
|
Jensen MP, Jamieson GA, Lutz A, Mazzoni G, McGeown WJ, Santarcangelo EL, Demertzi A, De Pascalis V, Bányai ÉI, Rominger C, Vuilleumier P, Faymonville ME, Terhune DB. New directions in hypnosis research: strategies for advancing the cognitive and clinical neuroscience of hypnosis. Neurosci Conscious 2017; 3:nix004. [PMID: 29034102 PMCID: PMC5635845 DOI: 10.1093/nc/nix004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This article summarizes key advances in hypnosis research during the past two decades, including (i) clinical research supporting the efficacy of hypnosis for managing a number of clinical symptoms and conditions, (ii) research supporting the role of various divisions in the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices in hypnotic responding, and (iii) an emerging finding that high hypnotic suggestibility is associated with atypical brain connectivity profiles. Key recommendations for a research agenda for the next decade include the recommendations that (i) laboratory hypnosis researchers should strongly consider how they assess hypnotic suggestibility in their studies, (ii) inclusion of study participants who score in the middle range of hypnotic suggestibility, and (iii) use of expanding research designs that more clearly delineate the roles of inductions and specific suggestions. Finally, we make two specific suggestions for helping to move the field forward including (i) the use of data sharing and (ii) redirecting resources away from contrasting state and nonstate positions toward studying (a) the efficacy of hypnotic treatments for clinical conditions influenced by central nervous system processes and (b) the neurophysiological underpinnings of hypnotic phenomena. As we learn more about the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying hypnosis and suggestion, we will strengthen our knowledge of both basic brain functions and a host of different psychological functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Jensen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Graham A Jamieson
- School of Behavioural, Cognitive, and Social Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
| | | | | | - William J McGeown
- School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, UK
| | - Enrica L Santarcangelo
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Athena Demertzi
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France and Coma Science Group, GIGA Research, University and University hospital of Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Éva I Bányai
- Department of Psychology, University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Devin B Terhune
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Santarcangelo EL, Briscese L, Capitani S, Orsini P, Varanini M, Rossi B, Carboncini MC. Blink reflex in subjects with different hypnotizability: New findings for an old debate. Physiol Behav 2016; 163:288-293. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
|
22
|
Menzocchi M, Mecacci G, Zeppi A, Carli G, Santarcangelo EL. Hypnotizability and Performance on a Prism Adaptation Test. THE CEREBELLUM 2016; 14:699-706. [PMID: 25913127 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-015-0671-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The susceptibility to hypnosis, which can be measured by scales, is not merely a cognitive trait. In fact, it is associated with a number of physiological correlates in the ordinary state of consciousness and in the absence of suggestions. The hypnotizability-related differences observed in sensorimotor integration suggested a major role of the cerebellum in the peculiar performance of healthy subjects with high scores of hypnotic susceptibility (highs). In order to provide behavioral evidence of this hypothesis, we submitted 20 highs and 21 low hypnotizable participants (lows) to the classical cerebellar Prism Adaptation Test (PAT). We found that the highs' performance was significantly less accurate and more variable than the lows' one, even though the two groups shared the same characteristics of adaptation to prismatic lenses. Although further studies are required to interpret these findings, they could account for earlier reports of hypnotizability-related differences in postural control and blink rate, as they indicate that hypnotizability influences the cerebellar control of sensorimotor integration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Menzocchi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giulio Mecacci
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Andrea Zeppi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Carli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Enrica L Santarcangelo
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Parris BA. The Prefrontal Cortex and Suggestion: Hypnosis vs. Placebo Effects. Front Psychol 2016; 7:415. [PMID: 27065297 PMCID: PMC4812013 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A. Parris
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth UniversityPoole, UK
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Madeo D, Castellani E, Mocenni C, Santarcangelo EL. Pain perception and EEG dynamics: does hypnotizability account for the efficacy of the suggestions of analgesia? Physiol Behav 2015; 145:57-63. [PMID: 25837836 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.03.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
We report novel findings concerning the role of hypnotizability, suggestions of analgesia and the activity of the Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System (BIS/BAS) in the modulation of the subjective experience of pain and of the associated EEG dynamics. The EEG of high (highs) and low hypnotizable participants (lows) who completed the BIS/BAS questionnaire was recorded during basal conditions, tonic nociceptive stimulation without (PAIN) and with suggestions for analgesia (AN). Participants scored the perceived pain intensity at the end of PAIN and AN. The EEG midline dynamics was characterized by indices indicating the signal predictability (Determinism) and complexity (Entropy) obtained through the Recurrence Quantification Analysis. The reduced pain intensity reported by highs during AN was partially accounted for by the activity of the Behavioral Activation System. The decreased midline cortical Determinism observed during nociceptive stimulation in both groups independently of suggestions remained significantly reduced only in lows after controlling for the activity of the Behavioral Activation System. Finally, controlling for the activity of the Behavioral Inhibition System abolished stimulation, suggestions and hypnotizability-related differences. Results indicate that the BIS/BAS activity may be more important than hypnotizability itself in pain modulation and in the associated EEG dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dario Madeo
- Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Italy; Complex Systems Community, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Eleonora Castellani
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Mocenni
- Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Italy; Complex Systems Community, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Enrica Laura Santarcangelo
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|