Research on placebo analgesia usually shows that people experienced a reduction in pain after using a placebo analgesic. An emerging line of research argues that, under some circumstances, merely ...possessing (but not using) a placebo analgesic could induce placebo analgesia. The current study investigates how temporary expectation of pain reduction associated with different forms of possessing a placebo analgesic affects pain outcomes. Healthy participants (n = 90) were presented with a vial of olive oil (placebo), described as a blended essential oil that blocks pain sensations upon nasal inhalation, and were asked to anticipate the benefits of such analgesic oil to the self (such as anticipating the analgesic oil to reduce their pain). Participants were randomized into one of three different possession conditions: physical-possession condition (participants possessed a tangible placebo analgesic oil, inducing an expectation to acquire analgesic benefit early upon the experience of pain), psychological-possession condition (participants possessed a coupon, which can be redeemed for a placebo analgesic oil, inducing an expectation to acquire analgesic benefit later upon the experience of pain), or no-possession condition. Participants did a cold pressor test (CPT) to experience experimentally-induced pain on their non-dominant hand. Their objective physical pain responses (pain-threshold and pain-tolerance), and subjective psychological pain perception (pain intensity, severity, quality, and unpleasantness) were measured. Results revealed that participants in the physical-possession condition reported greater pain-threshold, F(2, 85) = 6.65, p = 0.002, and longer pain-tolerance, F(2, 85) = 7.19, p = 0.001 than participants in the psychological-possession and no-possession conditions. No significant group difference was found in subjective pain perception. The results of this study can advance knowledge about pain mechanisms and novel pain management.
Abstract
Background
Placebo analgesia studies generally reported that the actual use of a placebo analgesic reduces pain. Yeung, Geers, and Kam found that the mere possession (without use) of a ...placebo analgesic also reduces pain.
Purpose
We investigated the relative effectiveness of using versus possessing a placebo analgesic on pain outcomes.
Methods
In Study 1a, 120 healthy adults were randomized to either the experimental (EXP) conditions (EXP1: used a placebo analgesic cream, EXP2: possessed a placebo analgesic cream) or control (CO) conditions (CO1: possessed a sham cream, CO2: no cream). All participants underwent a cold pressor test (CPT). Study 1b further delineated the effect of possession from the effect of use. Sixty healthy adults were randomized to either the placebo-possession condition (merely possessed a placebo analgesic cream) or the placebo-possession-use condition (possessed and used a placebo analgesic cream). All participants did a CPT.
Results
In Study 1a, as expected, a placebo effect was found—participants who used a placebo analgesic cream showed better pain outcomes than the two CO groups. Surprisingly, participants who merely possessed a placebo analgesic cream performed equally well as those who actually used it. In Study 1b, participants in the two conditions did not differ in most pain outcomes. Participants who possessed and used a placebo analgesic cream only showed slightly more reduction in pain intensity compared to participants who merely possessed the placebo analgesic cream.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that merely possessing a placebo analgesic could enhance pain outcomes similar to that of applying the placebo analgesic.
Healthy adults who merely possessed a placebo analgesic cream improved analgesia similarly to those who actually used the placebo analgesic cream.
A survey of the cultural notions related to happiness and the existing empirical evidence indicate that some individuals endorse the belief that happiness, particularly an immoderate degree of it, ...should be avoided. These beliefs mainly involve the general notion that happiness may lead to bad things happening. Using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis and multilevel modeling, this study investigates the measurement invariance, cross-level isomorphism, predictive validity, and nomological network of the fear of happiness scale across 14 nations. The results show that this scale has good statistical properties at both individual and cultural levels. The findings also indicate that this scale has the potential to add to the knowledge about how people conceive of, and experience, happiness across cultures.
We report, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus with clinical presentation of bilateral upward gaze palsy and intraoral numbness. Magnetic ...resonance imaging of the brain was able to identify the pathogenic lesion at the left side of midbrain, involving the vertical gaze center and sensory pathways for innervating the buccal and hard palate mucosa. A course of aggressive immunosuppressive treatment resulted in prompt resolution of gaze palsy and the midbrain lesion.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
More than 100 genes had been identified for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With the advancement of whole-exome/genome sequencing (WES/WGS), disease-causing gene in ASD can be identified in a ...holistic and unbiased approach. The identification of new ASD genes can further explore the molecular basis of ASD.
We report a 15yo girl with developmental delay, intellectual disability, hypotonia, microcephaly and autistic feature. She first presented at 6months old with primitive response to noise. Physical examination showed the patient was hypotonic despite normal muscle power and reflexes. She also had progressive microcephaly. Developmental assessment at 6y showed the patient had a corresponding functional age of 1y. The patient also had autistic feature.
The patient had no abnormal biochemical or radiological findings. To investigate the molecular basis of the clinical presentation, we applied clinical whole-exome sequencing (WES) for the proband and the family, and we identified a novel de novo heterozygous missense pathogenic variant, TOP2B: NM_001068.2:c.172C>T; NP_001059.2:p.His58Tyr. TOP2B encodes for the enzyme, topoisomerase II isoenzyme beta which is abundant in both developing and adult brain. Defect of topoisomerase is also known to cause ASD.
Using clinical WES, we were able to identify the disease-causing gene for this patient in a holistic approach and end the diagnostic odyssey with a therapeutic impact.
•Clinical whole exome sequencing (WES) can resolve undiagnosed disease•TOP2B: NM_001068.2:c.172C>T (p.His58Tyr) is a novel pathogenic variant for intellectual disability•Defect of topoisomerase may result to various neurodevelopmental disorders
Past research on the mere ownership effect has shown that when people own an object, they perceive the owned objects more favorably than the comparable non‐owned objects. The present research extends ...this idea, showing that when people own an object functional to the self, they perceive an increase in their self‐efficacy. Three studies were conducted to demonstrate this new form of the mere ownership effect. In Study 1, participants reported an increase in their knowledge level by the mere ownership of reading materials (a reading package in Study 1a, and lecture notes in Study 1b). In Study 2, participants reported an increase in their resilience to sleepiness by merely owning a piece of chocolate that purportedly had a sleepiness‐combating function. In Study 3, participants who merely owned a flower essence that is claimed to boost creativity reported having higher creativity efficacy. The findings provided insights on how associations with objects alter one's self‐perception.
Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome is a group of heterogeneous diseases with non-specific presentation. The common feature is the quantitative depletion of mitochondrial DNA without qualitative ...defects. Diagnosis of these diseases poses a challenge and whole exome sequencing is often needed for their diagnoses.
Two siblings of a quartet family, presenting with hypotonia, microcephaly and severe intellectual disability, have been diagnosed to harbor two heterozygous variants in trans in the DTYMK gene of the thymidine biosynthesis pathway. Mitochondrial DNA depletion has been demonstrated in silico in the more severe sibling.
We suggest the consideration of incorporating DTYMK as one of the associated genes of mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS). DTYMK may be the missing link in the mitochondrial nucleotide salvage pathway but further characterization and additional evidence would be needed.
•We identified DTYMK mutations in a family with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS).•DTYMK is a novel gene associated with MDDS.•DTYMK should be included in the targeted panel for MDDS.
This study examined the relationship between 4 conceptions of happiness and life satisfaction in a sample of 2715 university students across 14 national groups. The 4 conceptions were ...self-transcendence, self-directed hedonism, conservation, and self-enhancement, which emerged from a principal component analysis of a 19-item scale generated for the purpose of the present study. Results of multi-level modeling showed that self-transcendence and conservation predicted life satisfaction positively and significantly. In addition, we found that self-directed hedonism and self-enhancement interacted in their effects on life satisfaction.
•We used a sample consisting of university students from 14 cultures.•Four conceptions of happiness emerged from principal component analysis on a 19-item scale.•Relationships between conceptions of happiness and life satisfaction were examined.•Multi-level modeling showed that self-transcendence and conservation predicted life satisfaction positively.•Self-directed hedonism interacted with self-enhancement in predicting life satisfaction.
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