Classically conditioned modulation of pain depends on stimulus intensity.

ABSTRACT: Innocuous cues that become associated with pain can enhance pain. This is termed classically conditioned hyperalgesia. The size of this effect varies under different conditions. We aimed to test whether the sensitising effect of pain-associated cues depends on the intensity of the paired test stimulus. To do this, two virtual reality environments were paired with either painful or non-painful vibrotactile stimuli in a counterbalanced fashion. The differential effect of the two environments was evaluated using pain intensity ratings of paired electrocutaneous test stimuli at three different intensity levels. Forty healthy participants were included in the study; 30 participants experienced sufficient pain during the learning phase and were included in the main analysis. An effect of environ

SUBMITTER: Harvie DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9015979 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature