Pain modulation by your partner: An experimental investigation from a social-affective perspective

Affective and social pain modulation in children-Experimental evidence using picture viewing

BACKGROUND

Children frequently encounter pain. Their pain like adults' pain is probably modulated by social-affective factors. Despite its clinical relevance, such pain modulation has not been explored experimentally in children, and little is known about specific factors accounting for it such as catastrophizing. We examined pain modulating effects of pictures varying in social-affective content and personal meaning (e.g., mothers' vs. strangers' faces) using subjective and psychophysiological measures (skin conductance, heart rate, corrugator electromyography) as outcomes.

METHODS

Forty-two children (8-13 years) underwent tonic heat pain stimulation while viewing pictures (social-affective: their mothers' faces with neutral expression, strangers' neutral and happy faces; affective: positive and negative scenes). Furthermore, the contribution of children's characteristics (e.g., anxiety, catastrophizing) and facets of the parent-child relationship to pain modulation was determined.

RESULTS

Viewing mothers' faces or positive scenes reduced subjective pain intensity and corrugator activity in response to pain. Viewing happy strangers' faces lowered corrugator activity. Enhanced pain experience due to negative affective stimuli was primarily observed psychophysiologically. The correlation between children's tendency to catastrophize and pain relief by mothers' faces was mediated by induced arousal, likely reflecting the degree of motivational activation of seeking social support.

CONCLUSIONS

Pain relief by positive affective and social-affective stimuli extends previous findings in adults, especially regarding reduced pain-related facial muscle activity. Moreover, the results shed light on the interplay between catastrophizing and social context on children's pain experience. Clinically, our results imply that just looking at pictures of their mothers (or positive scenes) might help to alleviate pain in children.

Positive imagery in depressive suicidal patients: A randomized controlled trial of the effect of viewing loved ones' photos on mood states and suicidal ideation

According to research, it has been suggested that individuals who are affected by depression could potentially engage in the creation and experience emotional advantages relating to positive events directed towards the past or future, with the condition that they are provided with suitable mental imagery techniques. The main aim of this study was to assess the impact of utilizing positive imagery, specifically through the utilization of photographs featuring loved ones, on mood states and suicidal ideation among individuals diagnosed with depression and exhibiting suicidal tendencies. This randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover trial was conducted among 78 hospitalized depressive patients at three psychiatric services between April and August 2019. The patients participated in four individual picture-viewing sessions on four consecutive days. The four categories of pictures were included: loved ones, neutral faces of strangers, natural landscapes, and optical illusions. Directly prior to and immediately following the observation of the visual stimuli (photographs), the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) and the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI) were completed by the patients. Repeated measures ANOVAs conducted in this study revealed a significant main effect of time on ratings of tension, depression, fatigue, vigor, calmness, and happiness (P values < 0.001). Additionally, statistically significant interactions were identified between picture category and time in relation to the variables of tension, depression, fatigue, vigor, calmness, and happiness (P values < 0.001). The analysis did not reveal a significant main effect of time on ratings of anger, confusion, and suicidal ideation (P values > 0.05). Likewise, the interaction between picture category and time did not yield significant results for the variables of anger, confusion, and suicidal ideation (P values > 0.05). The positive imagery procedure using the presentation of loved ones' photos showed beneficial effects on the mood states of depressed patients. The findings of this study suggest that incorporating a greater emphasis on positive imagery within the context of clinical depression may offer potential advantages. This highlights the potential for novel opportunities in the treatment of depression.

Trial registration

The study has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (registration number: IRCT20180808040744N1; first registration date: December 22, 2018; website: https://en.irct.ir/trial/33186).