Browsing by Subject "Pain -- Psychological aspects"
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- ItemAlterations in hippocampal neurogenesis and pain behavior in mice(2009) Nguyen, Mai-Tien Mimi; Sternberg, WendyNeurogenesis, after being a target of harsh criticism and controversial overturn, has recently become largely accepted by the scientific community. It is now known that besides being born during embryonic and early postnatal development, new neurons are generated during adult lifetime. New evidence suggests that neurogenesis not only correlates with hippocampal learning and memory but may also be required for learning. It is thought that learning promotes the retention of new neurons. In the case of stress, which decreases adult neurogenesis, learning seems to be impaired. On the contrary, physical exercise enhances the generation of new neurons. Different studies have proposed that the cellular mechanism of neurogenesis is similar to the mechanism involving nerve plasticity in the pain pathway or central sensitization which is changes that occur in the brain after repeated nerve stimulation. The central focus of this study is to examine the effect of neurogenesis on pain behavior, especially, the relationship between neurogenesis and SIA (stress induced analgesia) and late-phase formalin pain behavior. The influences of social and physical environments, sex, stress and exercise have been studied in relation to neurogenesis and pain respectively, extending similar findings from research done by Stranahan, Khalil and Gould (2006): social context and exercise influence endocrine and neural responses, thus rates of neurogenesis. We expect mice runner living in group house to have increase neurogenesis, decreased in formalin pain and decreased stress-induced analgesia; however, final inconsistent findings did not show changes in neurogenesis and are less than conclusive to support this hypothesis.
- ItemAlterations in Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Pain Behavior in Mice: An Experimental Study(2009) Gomes, Angelina; Sternberg, WendyAs living condition has been shown to affect rates of neurogenesis, the current study was designed to examine the relationship between neurogenesis and pain behavior, particularly stress-induced analgesia (SIA) and tonic pain. Mice received daily injection stress and were placed in group or isolated housing conditions, with or without access to a running wheel in order to differentially manipulate neurogenesis. Both males and females were used in this study to investigate sex differences involved. Animals were tested with hotplate and tail withdrawal tests before and after restraint stress to examine SIA (experiment 1), and with a subcutaneous formalin injection to assess changes in tonic pain—particularly in the late phase (experiment 2). Group housed runners were expected to have increased neurogenesis, decreased SIA and increased late phase formalin pain; however, findings did not support this hypothesis. In experiment 1, significant differences in overall acute pain were observed, depending on housing and running. In experiment 2, overall formalin pain behavior was influenced by housing, while running differentially influenced pain behaviors in each phase. Significant changes in neurogenesis were not observed, which--along with a number of confounding variables--may have influenced inconsistent findings.
- ItemAlterations in Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Pain Behavior in Mice: An Experimental Study(2009) Guillen, Jocelyn; Sternberg, WendyPrevious research has shown that social housing and running activity can influence neurogenesis. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between neurogenesis and pain behavior, specifically through stress-induced analgesia (SIA) and tonic pain. Mice were placed in either group or isolated housing conditions, with or without access to a running wheel, received daily injection stress. Animals were tested with a formalin injection to evaluate changes in tonic pain, and hotplate and tail withdrawal pain tests, before and after a restraint stress, in order to examine stress-induced analgesia. Group-housed runners were expected to have more newly-generated neurons, greater signs of ongoing pain behavior in the formalin pain test-especially in the latephase, and less stress-induced analgesia through shorter response latency to hotplate and tailwithdrawal pain tests. However, the findings did not support this hypothesis. Study 1, revealed that group housed animals exhibited overall greater persistent pain behavior following formalin injection. However, this effect was differentially affected by running. Results from study 2 show significant effects housing, and running on pain behavior. Finally, the relationship between neurogenesis and pain behavior, which was limited by a small sample size, was not significant, but demonstrated interesting patterns. Further research should examine the relationship between pain behavior and neurogenesis using a larger sample size.
- ItemAn Investigation of Stress-Induced Analgesia in Cognitive Competitive Task(2001) Lauber, Katherine; Sternberg, WendyStress-induced analgesia is a phenomenon that has been demonstrated on multiple occasions in humans in laboratory settings (Willer et al., 1981; Jungkunz et al., 1984). Most research on stress-induced analgesia in humans has focused on exercise and athletic-competition produced analgesia. Previous studies in this laboratory have been aimed at discovering what aspects of athletic competition create analgesia. This study is specifically targeted at investigating the cognitive competitive aspects of a sedentary task. This study focuses on the cognitive competitive mindset aspect of competition and questions whether that mindset can create analgesia. Sex-differences in competition are also a large interest of this study. 48 subjects (24 male, 24 female) from the Haverford College community participated in one of two competitive tasks, a video game or word games. The study is a 2x2 mixed factorial design, with sex of subject and day (baseline vs. competition) being the two independent variables. After a baseline session or competing in one of the competitive tasks, subjects completed a cold-pressor test as a pain measure to determine analgesic effects. Pain data, mood scale ratings, physiological data and questionnaire data about the competitive task were then compared to baseline ratings in each subject. The study produced no significant differences in pain rating as a result of competition. However, mood scale (SSR) ratings and physiological data acquired from the subjects demonstrated significant levels of stress in the subjects from baseline to task days. Reasons for why seemingly significant levels of stress and arousal in the subjects failed to produce analgesia are discussed and possible areas of future research are suggested.
- ItemCompetition vs. Exercise-Induced Analgesia in Male and Female Athletes and Non-Athletes(2004) Meister, Miriam; Sternberg, WendyPain sensitivity in 52 college male and female athletes and non-athletes was assessed at baseline and then after exercise and competition while workload was held constant. Subjects pedaled on a stationary bike for 20 minutes at 60% maximum capacity in both exercise and competition conditions. Non-exercising, repeated-pain testing controls were tested at the same time intervals. Pain sensitivity was measured by heat pain threshold, thermal scaling and the cold pressor test. Subjects showed a significant decrease in pain sensitivity between baseline and exercise conditions (on thermal scaling) and again between exercise and competition conditions (on thermal scaling and heat pain threshold). Repeated pain testing in non-exercising subjects revealed a significant increase in heat pain threshold of athletes between their first and third testing sessions as well as significantly greater pain ratings of female non-athletes than female athletes on the cold pressor. Possible conclusions are that exercise and competition produce like-strength analgesia regardless of sex and athletic status, and that athletes show a lessened response to pain over time.
- ItemCompetition, Cooperation, and Pain Sensitivity(2012) Xiang, William W.; Sternberg, WendyPain is often associated with athletic competition. Studies have shown that competition produced an analgesic effect in male and female athletes. However, analgesic effects in athletes and non-athletes in different levels of competition have not yet been systematically investigated. This experiment evaluated pain sensitivity on several different measures in athletes and non-athletes before and after participating in one of four conditions: completing a puzzle, cycling on a stationary bicycle alone, cooperatively cycling alongside a confederate, or competitively cycling alongside a confederate. The study did not find significant results regarding different levels of competition and analgesia. Although no significant results were found, some interesting patterns were observed with the gender-specific cooperative condition. Women in the cooperative condition demonstrated increase in pain sensitivity, unlike results found in previous studies on exercise and competition. Possible reasons for this increase in pain sensitivity could be due to personality trait differences in cooperation compared to competition or participants empathizing for his or her partner's physical pain while cycling. Our findings suggest that the nature of cooperation causes different analgesic responses from interpersonal competition.
- ItemCompetition, Cooperation, and Pain Sensitivity(2012) Ferri, Josie; Sternberg, WendyThe sharp decrease in pain sensitivity during and immediately following competition experienced by athletes is a quintessential example of stress-induced analgesia. While anecdotal evidence exists regarding this phenomenon, research has yet to methodically investigate responses to painful stimuli during stressful competitive scenarios. The present study aimed to determine the competitive psychological scenario that would induce the greatest stress response and effort exerted, and therefore the greatest analgesic response. The results demonstrate that our scenarios induced a mild analgesic effect in cold pressor and thermal pain testing as well as a physiological change, particularly heart rate, proportional to the level of competition. Our experiment contributes to the current research data identifying the relationship between competition, gender, athletic status, and stress-induced analgesia.
- ItemCompetition, Cooperation, and Pain Sensitivity(2012) Selsor, Margaret; Sternberg, WendyPrior research has shown how competition and exercise increase pain tolerance. However, the specific effects of cooperation in competition on pain sensitivity have not been thoroughly examined. In our study, we had 80 subjects (40 males, 40 females; 40 athletes, 40 non-athletes) randomly assigned to one of four conditions: a control task, biking in isolation, biking cooperatively with a confederate, and biking competitively against a confederate, and they completed pre- and post-test pain measures (cold pressor test, thermal scaling, and thermal pain threshold). We had three main hypotheses: (I) subjects in the competitive condition will elicit the greatest analgesic response (followed by cooperative, isolated, and control), (2) athletes will have higher pain tolerances, a greater analgesic response to the exercise conditions, and a larger rate of RPE, and (3) females will have a greater analgesic response to the exercise condition, and males would have a greater pain tolerance overall. Although most of our hypotheses were not supported, we discuss the implications and ideas for future research.
- ItemDo You Really Want to Hurt Me? Ostracism-Induced Physical Pain Sensitization in Real-Life Relationships(2009) Dickinson, Annelise; Sternberg, WendyIn humans, social and physical pain are believed to arise from common neural networks, an evolutionarily advantageous system for motivating prosocial behavior. As such, the hypothesis that social insult can sensitize physical pain perception was investigated in the context of real-life relationships. The social value ascribed to the source of virtual ostracism, the closeness of the relationship, and individual personality characteristics were expected to modulate the impact of social rejection upon physical pain reports. Romantic partners, friends, and strangers were all led to believe that their partners were excluding them from an online ball-tossing game, and pain sensitivity changes from baseline were assessed following this manipulation. Results indicated that ostracism by a relationship partner leads to an increase in cold pain tolerance, that romantic partners report more cold pain unpleasantness than friends following social rejection, and that trait sensitivity to social insult predicts physical pain sensitivity in general. The findings suggest that within the context of real-life relationships, the social rejection as an agent of influence upon pain behavior may not operate as cleanly as previously believed, and that further research in this area is definitely warranted. Results are interpreted with respect to several theories of social and physical pain behaviors, and suggestions for future studies are highlighted.
- ItemEmpathy and Pain Sensitivity: The Influence of Empathy for Negative Affective States on Pain Sensitivity(2011) Soule-Hinds, Andrew; Sternberg, WendyEmpathy for pain is an established phenomenon in the behavioral as well as fMRI literature resulting in increased pain sensitivity. We sought to investigate the effects of empathy for social pain (embarrassment, ostracism) on pain sensitivity which, while explored and established in fMRI studies, remains unexamined in behavioral studies. Specifically, we examined the hypothesis that watching others being ostracized or embarrassed would increase the observer's pain ratings. Additionally, we investigated whether watching images of others in physical pain would similarly cause an increase in observer pain ratings. There was only one significant interaction indicating that the empathy for ostracism condition had a significant increase on pain ratings. Robust sex differences were found, as well as evidence that trait empathy might be correlated with pain ratings after empathizing with others. The results and future directions are discussed.
- ItemEnvironmental Enrichment and Early Life Pain: Effects on Stress and Nociception(2012) DeHority, Rebecca; Sternberg, WendyEarly life pain is known to cause long-term alterations, including a global reduction in pain sensitivity and decreased anxiety behaviors. An enriched environmentcharacterized by increased social interaction, exploratory behavior, and physical activity- has been shown to have many beneficial effects including increased learning and memory, a reduction in anxiety behavior, and increased nociceptive responses. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the long-term negative consequences of early life pain could be buffered by living in an enriched environment. Male and female mice were placed into one of three early life conditions: a surgical procedure on post-natal day one, and sham surgical procedure, and control. Half of the animals were subsequently housed in an enriched environment upon weaning. In adulthood the animals underwent three pain tests and one test of stress response. Results from our study suggest that the enriched environment was able to reverse the long-term consequences of early life pain.
- ItemNeonatal Pain and Stress: The Modulation of Adult Pain Sensitivity through Environmental Enrichment(2012) Kazinka, Rebecca A.; Sternberg, WendyExperiences with early life pain and stress influence important pain pathways that affect adult pain sensitivity. This research looks specifically at the influences of environmental enrichment (enhancement of the social and physical environments) and neonatal pain on adult pain sensitivity in mice. A sample of 100 mice were divided into surgery, sham surgery or control conditions and were then housed in either an enriched or a standard cage for nine weeks. Testing included pain sensitivity through tail withdrawal; Von Frey filaments, and abdominal constriction tests, stress responsiveness through blood corticosterone measurements after the restraint stressor test, and hippocampal neurogenesis. Findings showed a significant interaction between the surgery condition and environmental enrichment in all pain modalities, suggesting that enrichment modulates the effects of neonatal pain. Corticosterone and neurogenesis results were inconclusive. Future directions include using morphine and naloxone to test initial influences of acute neonatal pain, as well as opioid-knockout mice to elucidate the mechanisms of enrichment in these effects.
- ItemReversing the Long-Term Effects of Neonatal Pain: Modulation by Environmental Enrichment(2012) Steiner, Emily; Sternberg, WendyNeonatal pain has been shown to have long-term effects on pain behaviors, leading to increased pain thresholds, or hypoalgesia. Environmental enrichment has a significant effect on pain behaviors as well. The purpose of the current study was to determine if enriched environments would play a modulating role on long-term pain and stress sensitivity for animals that experienced early-life pain. Male and female mice were placed into one of three early-life manipulations: surgery, sham surgery, or control. Subjects were then housed into standard or enriched environments to determine if an interaction of early-life manipulation and housing has an effect on adulthood pain and stress behaviors. Mice underwent pain tests (acetic acid, Von Frey, and tail-withdrawal tests) and anxiety testing (corticosterone analysis) to determine pain and stress sensitivity. Results from the study suggest that environmental enrichment buffers the adverse effects of neonatal pain on adulthood pain sensitivity.
- ItemSocial approach to pain: the effects of maternal relatedness(2010) Robbins, Melissa; Sternberg, WendyRecent behavioral research suggests that there is a sex-specific effect for social approach behaviors in mice. Females will approach familiar female cagemates who are expressing pain-related behaviors. In contrast, females do not approach unfamiliar mice expressing similar behaviors. This approach pattern indicates that familiarity is an important factor in predicting social approach behaviors in female mice. Males do not exhibit this type of social behavior. Furthermore, female mice are known to engage in a variety of social and maternal behaviors towards their genetic offspring, and unrelated mice pups. Therefore, varying degrees of familiarity, such as biological relatedness and maternal relationships may elicit different social approach patterns in females. This study investigated the ways in which maternalrelatedness and familiarity with mice pups expressing pain-related behaviors affected social approach behaviors in adult female mice. We grouped mothers and their offspring into five different categories based on familiarity and relatedness. We tested each female in a double approach paradigm, with two pups that she reared, gave birth to, or a pup she had no prior contact or relationship with. In each trial, mesh wire confined a pup not in pain and a pup in pain at opposite ends of the testing apparatus. We then placed the female in the middle of the apparatus and recorded her proximity to each pup for a set time. After recording and analyzing multiple tests and conditions, we found that familiarity, relatedness, and the genders of the pups tested with, affected social approach behaviors towards pups in female mice.
- ItemSocial Modulation of Pain in Human Subjects: Effects of Empathy on Pain Perception(2007) Shafi, Heather; Sternberg, WendyThe present study examined the effects of two social groups (romantic partners and best friends) on pain perception. Subjects underwent baseline and experimental pain testing days with the same procedure except subjects were primed with watching their romantic partner, best friend, or a stranger in pain during the experimental day. We hypothesized that romantic partners would have the most amount of empathy (measured by a state empathy scale) from watching their partner in pain, followed by best friends, and then strangers. From this hypothesis, we expected romantic partners, followed by best friends and strangers, to show enhanced pain perceptions (measured from unpleasantness and intensity ratings) in a cold pressor test, heat threshold test, and heat suprathreshold test. The specific group hypotheses were not confirmed, however, state empathy ratings were correlated with pain ratings in general, which lead us to believe if our empathy eliciting manipulation had been more effective, we may have seen the expected results.
- ItemThe Effect of Environmental Enrichment on Pain Behavior: Possible Mechanisms(2011) Buonora, Michele; Sternberg, WendyEnvironmental enrichment—characterized by increased social interaction, exploratory behavior, and physical activity—has been shown to increase hippocampal neurogenesis as well as the physiological response to stress, both of which cause various behavioral changes in mice. The purpose of the current study was to determine the physiological correlate of a third behavioral change following enrichment: altered pain behavior. Male and female mice were housed in enriched or standard conditions and treated with saline, MAM (a neurogenesis blocker), or naloxone (an opioid receptor antagonist) to explore two possible mechanisms: increased neurogenesis, and chronically elevated levels of β-endorphins—endogenous opioids—as a result of HPA-axis stimulation. Results from our study suggest that, while environmental enrichment was unable to consistently alter pain behavior, sex-dependent chronic elevations of β-endorphins might decrease the sensitivity of enriched males to the analgesic effects of opioid administration.
- ItemThe Effects of Academic Competition on Pain Perception(2005) Gardner-Mims, WilliamCompetition in both an athletic environment and the laboratory have been shown to produce analgesic effects. Gender interactions are present in these manipulations, particularly in the laboratory. The current study looks to further the understanding of these effects by examining a task that should be equally engaging to both male and female subjects, an academic aptitude competition, and also examining subject's pain response in the middle of the manipulation, as opposed to before or after. Subjects competed for a monetary prize by completing a written test in a certain time limit. Despite the aim of a gender neutral manipulation, gender effects were found for all three pain measures, heat withdrawal temperature, cold pressor intensity and cold pressor unpleasantness. The results showed male subjects as being more sensitive to pain after the competition as opposed to a baseline day, and female subjects as showing either no effect or an analgesic reaction. The results are discussed in terms of gender differences in response to competition.
- ItemThe Effects of Anticipatory Stress on Analgesia and Cortisol Concentrations in Competitive Athletes(2006) Ratliff, Jeffrey; Sternberg, WendyThis study explored the effects that anticipatory stress before athletic competition may have on human pain perception. Soccer and basketball players were tested for pain thresholds, salivary cortisol concentrations, as well as general arousal before games, practices, as well as a non-exercise baseline session. An analgesic response was demonstrated before practices and games as compared to baseline sessions, however no significant difference was found between the practice and game sessions themselves. In soccer players, cortisol was found to be significantly higher before games as compared to either of the other two sessions. It is proposed that analgesic responses to practices and games may still be due to a stress response. Additionally, confounding factors are discussed such as ambient temperature during testing and the success of the team being tested. Recommendations for future research are also made.
- ItemThe Effects of Anticipatory Stress on Pain Responses in Male and Female Athletes(2006) Nagle, Sarah; Sternberg, WendyAthletic competition elicits a stress response that is both physical and psychological in nature. Additionally, following athletic competition, an increase in pain threshold (analgesia) has been observed. However, the mechanisms that produce analgesia due to athletic competition have not been systematically investigated. The present study sought to determine if the psychological stress in anticipation of an athletic competition is alone able to induce an analgesic state by evaluating sympathetic nervous system measures (heart rate, blood pressure), cortisol levels, self-rated anxiety scores, and pain thresholds in male and females soccer players and in female basketball players prior to a game and a practice, and on a non-competitive day. The results suggest that there is an increase in pain threshold (analgesia) in anticipation of both an athletic contest and a team practice session and that this increase may be associated with increases in cortisol levels, sympathetic nervous system measures, and self-rated measures of anxiety. Future research on coaching styles, winning expectancies, and the social context surrounding the competition would help clarify the present findings.
- ItemThe Effects of Anticipatory Stress on Pain Threshold and Cortisol Responses in Male and Female Athletes(2006) Dolich, Caryn; Sternberg, WendyParticipating in a competitive athletic event, for example a routine practice or game, can produce anticipatory elevations in cortisol and pain threshold in male and female college athletes (basketball and soccer players). In an attempt to bridge the theoretical gap between competition-induced analgesia (CIA) and stress-induced analgesia (SIA), the present study investigated the association between subjective and physiological measures of stress to nociceptive response in the context of competitive athletics. Heat withdrawal latencies confirmed expectations that the anticipatory stress of competition can elicit analgesic effects in both basketball and soccer players. Salivary cortisol in soccer players was consistent with this result, showing significant elevations prior to a game compared to practice and baseline sessions, but did not follow this same pattern among basketball players. These results provide evidence for HPA activation of the stress response and its subsequent interaction with the pain pathway in inducing analgesic effects.