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ABSTRACT: Mean values and the spectral variability of heart rate (HRV), blood pressure, and skin blood flow were studied in high and low hypnotizable subjects during simple relaxation. Similar subjective relaxation was reported by highs and lows. A parasympathetic prevalence (indicated by a higher High-Frequency component of HRV and a lower High/Low-Frequency ratio) and lower renin-angiotensin activity (indicated by a lower Very-Low-Frequency component of HRV) could be attributed to highs with respect to lows. Hypnotizability did not affect blood pressure and its variability and modulated the skin blood flow across the session only in lows. The findings confirm that relaxation cannot be defined solely on cardiovascular parameters and also indicate that hypnotizability modulates cardiovascular activity during simple relaxation and suggest it may have a protective role against cardiovascular disease.
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 10/2012; 60(4):383-96. · 1.52 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: It has been shown that, in subjects with high hypnotizability (Highs), imagined somatosensory stimulation can involuntarily activate the neural circuits involved in the modulation of reflex action. In this vein, aim of the study was to investigate whether the imagery of nociceptive stimulation in one leg may produce both subjective experience of pain and congruent postural adjustments during normal upright stance. The displacement of the centre of pressure (CoP) was studied during imagery of leg pain (LP) and during the control conditions of imagery of tactile stimulation of the same leg and of throat pain (TP) in 12 Highs and 12 low hypnotizable subjects (Lows). The results showed that the vividness of imagery was higher in Highs than in Lows for all tasks and that only Highs reported actually feeling pain during LP and TP. Congruently, during LP only Highs displaced their CoP towards the leg opposite to the one that was the object of painful imagery and increased their CoP mean velocity and area of excursion. Since the Highs' postural changes were not accounted for only by vividness of imagery and perceived pain intensity, high hypnotizability is apparently responsible for part of the postural effects of pain imagery.
Experimental Brain Research 11/2011; 216(3):341-8. · 2.39 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Body sway and locomotion are differentially modulated in high (highs) and low (lows) hypnotizable subjects undergoing alteration of visual and neck/leg proprioceptive inputs. The study's aim was to investigate whether partial impairment of vestibular information due to backward head extension affects postural (Study 1) and locomotor behavior (Study 2) differentially in highs and lows. Results showed that, at variance with the visual and proprioceptive modalities, vestibular inactivation did not induce major differences between the 2 groups, with the exception of improvement in walking straight across consecutive trials, which was observed only in highs. The article presents an overview of the structures and mechanisms possibly involved in the observed hypnotizability-related differences in motor control and suggests that hypnotic susceptibility might be a relevant factor in neuro-rehabilitative treatments because it accounts for part of the variability in the sensorimotor self.
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 07/2010; 58(3):329-44. · 1.52 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Hypnotizability is a cognitive trait modulating some physiological responses to cognitive and physical stimulation also in the normal awake state and in the absence of specific suggestions. Aim of the study was the characterization of the cardiovascular correlates of deep pain induced by nociceptive pressor stimulation without (PAIN) and with (AN) suggestions for analgesia, pain imagery/perception (IM) and mental computation (MC) in not hypnotized highly (Highs) and low (Lows) hypnotizable healthy subjects of both genders. The subjective experience of pain intensity, relaxation and task related fatigue were measured through a structured interview. Heart rate, blood pressure, skin blood flow and respiratory activity were monitored throughout the experimental session. Only Highs perceived lower pain intensity during AN with respect to PAIN and were able to perceive pain during IM. Heart rate decreased during PAIN, increased during MC and did not change during AN and IM in both groups. On the whole, the haemodynamic response consisted of decreased systolic/mean blood pressure and maximum skin blood flow together with increased diastolic blood pressure/minimum skin blood flow in both groups during all conditions. Scarce differences were observed between Highs and Lows (in systolic blood pressure during IM and in respiratory amplitude during PAIN, AN and IM, modulated by gender). The results indicate that in not hypnotized subjects hypnotizability is not associated with relevant differences in the autonomic responses to deep pain, suggestions for analgesia, pain imagery/perception and cognitive load.
Brain research bulletin 03/2010; 82(1-2):65-73. · 2.18 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In highly hypnotizable individuals (highs), postural control is more independent of sensory information than in low hypnotizable subjects (lows). The aim of the study was to find out whether locomotion is also less affected in highs than in lows by visual suppression and changes in the neck proprioceptive input. Eighteen highs and 20 lows were asked to walk straight ahead, blindfolded, in basal conditions (face forward), during real and imagined right/left head rotation and mental computation. Highs detected deviations from the straight trajectory better than lows. Their walking direction was more straight during basal conditions and less influenced than the lows' one by mental computation and real/imagined rotation of the head. The results confirm highs' lower dependence on sensory inputs, although this cannot be definitely attributed to a better internal representation of space or to higher behavioral automaticity.
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 01/2010; 58(1):122-35. · 1.52 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In this study, we aimed at comparing the effect of the social versus the physical enrichment of the environment on inflammatory pain. Hence, a rat model of carrageenan-induced knee inflammation was used. Four housing conditions were investigated: a physically enriched environment (PE), a socially enriched environment (SE), an enriched environment (EE) (i.e. physically and socially enriched) and a restricted environment (RE) (i.e. non-physically or socially enriched housing). Mechanical allodynia was assessed using the von Frey test preoperatively and at day post-operative (DPO) 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 and 28. Besides, anxiety was evaluated at DPO29, using the Elevated Plus-Maze test. Results show that RE housing resulted in a duration of mechanical allodynia of 4 weeks and of only 3 weeks in EE housing. Housing in a physically enriched environment also resulted in a reduction of the duration of mechanical allodynia of 1 week. Finally, if housed in a SE, the mechanical allodynia lasted for 3 weeks and an half. From these data, we conclude that both physical and social aspects of the environment are involved in the reduction of inflammatory pain duration, although the PE has a larger effect than the SE in this experimental setting. Interestingly, an inter-dependent relationship was noted between the PE and SE. Moreover, no significant difference in the rat anxiety was measured between groups, suggesting that the pain outcomes are likely not biased by the mean of potential housing condition-induced anxiety.
Behavioural brain research 11/2009; 208(1):90-5. · 3.22 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In this study, we aimed at comparing the effect of the social versus the physical enrichment of the environment on inflammatory pain. Hence, a rat model of carrageenan-induced knee inflammation was used. Four housing conditions were investigated: a physically enriched environment (PE), a socially enriched environment (SE), an enriched environment (EE) (i.e. physically and socially enriched) and a restricted environment (RE) (i.e. non-physically or socially enriched housing). Mechanical allodynia was assessed using the von Frey test preoperatively and at day post-operative (DPO) 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 and 28. Besides, anxiety was evaluated at DPO29, using the Elevated Plus-Maze test. Results show that RE housing resulted in a duration of mechanical allodynia of 4 weeks and of only 3 weeks in EE housing. Housing in a physically enriched environment also resulted in a reduction of the duration of mechanical allodynia of 1 week. Finally, if housed in a SE, the mechanical allodynia lasted for 3 weeks and an half. From these data, we conclude that both physical and social aspects of the environment are involved in the reduction of inflammatory pain duration, although the PE has a larger effect than the SE in this experimental setting. Interestingly, an inter-dependent relationship was noted between the PE and SE. Moreover, no significant difference in the rat anxiety was measured between groups, suggesting that the pain outcomes are likely not biased by the mean of potential housing condition-induced anxiety.
Behavioural Brain Research.
