Task engagement decreases pain perception in response to controlled pressure pain

Authors

  • V. Araujo Soares
  • A. Owen
  • Q. Vuong

Abstract

Background: To serve as a signal of potential threat a stimulus perceived as painful must achieve salience. The salience of a pain stimulus and its disruptive function on cognitive ability is well documented. This study investigates the hypothesis that increasing task demand reduces saliency of a painful stimulus and modifies observers’ pain perception. Method: In a controlled within subjects laboratory experiment, healthy adults (N=22) rated subjective pain level in response to a painful stimulus while performing a standardised ‘n-back’ visual working memory task varying in level of difficulty; 1-back (easy) vs 3-back (hard). Using a custom-built device, physical force (pain stimulus) was gradually increased over time on the participants’ fingertip. Force (Newtons) was recorded when participants rated the pain level as a 5 on a 10-point scale (1 signalling pain threshold and 10 pain tolerance) when engaged in the easy and difficult visual memory tasks and when there was no task. No-task measurements were made before and after visual memory blocks. Findings: Measured pain stimulus (force applied to the fingertip in Newtons) a participant would attribute a level of 5 (pain perception) was significantly greater on task blocks compared to no-task blocks, varying the task difficulty had no significant effect. During the task individuals could significantly endure more force applied (40% more) before rating pain as 5. Conclusion: Engaging in a cognitively demanding task, irrespective of level of difficulty, competes with the pain stimulus to reduce its subjective intensity. Task engagement presents an effective and pleasant strategy for pain management.

Published

2016-12-31

Issue

Section

Oral presentations