0000000000646610
AUTHOR
Dieter Kleinböhl
Differential Classical Conditioning of the Nocebo Effect: Increasing Heat-Pain Perception without Verbal Suggestions
Background: Nocebo effects, including nocebo hyperalgesia, are a common phenomenon in clinical routine with manifold negative consequences. Both explicit expectations and learning by conditioning are known to induce nocebo effects, but the specific role of conditioning remains unclear, because conditioning is rarely implemented independent of verbal suggestions. Further, although pain is a multidimensional phenomenon, nocebo effects are usually assessed in subjective ratings only, neglecting, e.g., behavioral aspects. The aim of this study was to test whether nocebo hyperalgesia can be learned by conditioning without explicit expectations, to assess nocebo effects in different response chan…
Altered tactile localization and spatiotemporal integration in complex regional pain syndrome patients
Background In complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), altered perception of the affected hand and neglect-like symptoms of the affected body side are common features. In this study, we presented tactile stimuli to the affected hands in CRPS patients and matched healthy controls. Methods The participants' task was to point at the perceived positions of the stimuli using a tracking device. The spatial coordinates of the perceived positions were analysed for accuracy and consistency. We also presented patterns consisting of two stimuli at distinct positions with a delay of 100 ms. These patterns are known to induce spatiotemporal integration ("sensory saltation"). Results CRPS patients were les…