The sensory and affective components of pain: are they differentially modifiable dimensions or inseparable aspects of a unitary experience? A systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pain is recognised to have both a sensory dimension (intensity) and an affective dimension (unpleasantness). Pain feels like a single unpleasant bodily experience, but investigations of human pain have long considered these two dimensions of pain to be separable and differentially modifiable. The evidence underpinning this separability and differential modifiability is seldom presented. We aimed to fill this gap by evaluating the current evidence base for whether or not the sensory and affective dimensions of pain can be selectively modulated using cognitive manipulations.

Methods

A rigorous systematic search, based on a priori search terms and consultation with field experts, yielded 4270 articles. A detailed screening process was based on the following recommend

SUBMITTER: Talbot K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6676053 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature