Distraction and cognitive control independently impact parietal and prefrontal response to pain.

ABSTRACT: Previous studies have found that distracting someone through a challenging activity leads to hypoalgesia, an effect mediated by parietal and prefrontal processes. Other studies suggest that challenging activities affect the ability to regulate one's aching experiences, due to the partially common neural substrate between cognitive control and pain at the level of the medial prefrontal cortex. We investigated the effects of distraction and cognitive control on pain by delivering noxious stimulations during or after a Stroop paradigm (requiring high cognitive load) or a neutral condition. We found less-intense and unpleasant subjective pain ratings during (compared to after) task execution. This hypoalgesia was associated with enhanced activity at the level of the dorsolateral prefrontal cor

SUBMITTER: Silvestrini N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10157067 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature