TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceptual sensory attenuation in chronic pain subjects and healthy controls
AU - McNaughton, David
AU - Beath, Alissa
AU - Hush, Julia
AU - Jones, Michael
N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2022. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.
PY - 2022/5/27
Y1 - 2022/5/27
N2 - We investigated whether sensory attenuation (or failure of) might be an explanation for heightened pain perceptions in individuals with chronic pain. N = 131 (50% chronic pain) individuals underwent a single experimental session, which included the force-matching task and several self-reported symptom and psychological measures. Individuals matched a force delivered to their finger, either by pressing directly on their own finger with their other hand (direct) or by using potentiometer to control the force through a torque motor (slider). All participants overestimated the target force in the direct condition reflecting the sensory attenuation phenomenon. No differences in the magnitude of sensory attenuation between chronic pain and control groups were observed (direct: Z = − 0.90, p = 0.37 and slider: Z = − 1.41, p = 0.16). An increased variance of sensory attenuation was observed in chronic pain individuals (direct: F(1, 129) = 7.22, p = 0.008 and slider: F(1, 129), p = 0.05). Performance in the slider condition was correlated with depressive symptoms (r = − 0.24, p = 0.05), high symptom count (r = − 0.25, p = 0.04) and positive affect (r = 0.28, p = 0.02). These were only identified in the chronic pain individuals. Overall, our findings reveal no clear differences in the magnitude of sensory attenuation between groups. Future research is needed to determine the relevance of sensory attenuation in neuro-cognitive models related to pain perception.
AB - We investigated whether sensory attenuation (or failure of) might be an explanation for heightened pain perceptions in individuals with chronic pain. N = 131 (50% chronic pain) individuals underwent a single experimental session, which included the force-matching task and several self-reported symptom and psychological measures. Individuals matched a force delivered to their finger, either by pressing directly on their own finger with their other hand (direct) or by using potentiometer to control the force through a torque motor (slider). All participants overestimated the target force in the direct condition reflecting the sensory attenuation phenomenon. No differences in the magnitude of sensory attenuation between chronic pain and control groups were observed (direct: Z = − 0.90, p = 0.37 and slider: Z = − 1.41, p = 0.16). An increased variance of sensory attenuation was observed in chronic pain individuals (direct: F(1, 129) = 7.22, p = 0.008 and slider: F(1, 129), p = 0.05). Performance in the slider condition was correlated with depressive symptoms (r = − 0.24, p = 0.05), high symptom count (r = − 0.25, p = 0.04) and positive affect (r = 0.28, p = 0.02). These were only identified in the chronic pain individuals. Overall, our findings reveal no clear differences in the magnitude of sensory attenuation between groups. Future research is needed to determine the relevance of sensory attenuation in neuro-cognitive models related to pain perception.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130828818&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-022-13175-4
DO - 10.1038/s41598-022-13175-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 35624306
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 12
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 8958
ER -