Projects per year
Abstract
A recent study found that merely possessing a placebo analgesic reduces pain. The current study tested for a possible moderator of this effect. Specifically, does the mere possession of a placebo analgesic affect pain for individuals with and without immediate prior experience with the pain task? Healthy participants (N = 127) were randomized to prior pain (PP) condition or without prior pain (No-PP) condition. In the PP condition, participants first did a preliminary trial of a cold pressor test (CPT) to induce direct experience with this pain stimulus. Then they were randomized to possess an inert cream described as either an analgesic cream or an anti-itch cream (pain-irrelevant control object). Participants then completed the main CPT. In the No-PP condition, participants underwent identical procedures and randomization except that they did not do a preliminary CPT, thus having no immediate prior CPT pain experience. We found a significant prior pain experience and possession status interaction effect on placebo analgesia. Participants in the No-PP condition showed evidence of lower pain when they merely possessed an analgesic cream than an anti-itch cream. Such mere possession effect was not found in the PP condition. The impact of expectancy and emotion on the underlying process are discussed.
Perspective: This article presents a novel finding that prior pain exposure and mere possession of a placebo analgesic predicted placebo analgesia. It offers a novel perspective on the time course of placebo effect. It provides practical implications on potential pain intervention for clinicians and paradigm design for researchers of placebo study.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 415-431 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Journal of Pain |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 27 Oct 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2020 United States Association for the Study of Pain, Inc.
Funding
The research was supported by the Faculty Research Grant (F102133) and General Research Fund (13600617) awarded by the Research Grant Council, Hong Kong to the first author. We thank Mr. Pui Chuen Tam, Mr. Eric Kenson Yau, Mr. Ting Kin Ng, and Ms Cherry Wan Cheuk Yue for providing research support.
Keywords
- Expectation
- analgesia
- cold pressor
- mere possession
- placebo
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Prior pain exposure and mere possession of a placebo analgesic predict placebo analgesia : Findings From a Randomized, Double-Blinded, Controlled Trial'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 2 Finished
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Merely possessing an analgesic reduces experiences of pain (僅僅擁有鎮痛劑可減輕痛覺)
YEUNG, W. L. V. (PI), GEERS, A. (CoI) & COLLOCA, L. (CoI)
Research Grants Council (HKSAR)
1/01/18 → 30/04/20
Project: Grant Research
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The Precebo Effect of Pain Using the Cold Pressor Task
YEUNG, W. L. V. (PI)
1/09/15 → 28/02/18
Project: Grant Research
Press/Media
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Previous pain exposure and mere possession of placebo analgesic may predict placebo analgesia
9/06/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research / Knowledge Transfer
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Pain experience, possession of analgesic boost pain tolerance, threshold
18/04/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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