Heart-rate control during pain and suggestions of analgesia without deliberate induction of hypnosis.
Heart rate and heart-rate variability (HRV) were studied through a set of different methods in high (highs) and low hypnotizable subjects (lows) not receiving any deliberate hypnotic induction in basal conditions (simple relaxation) and during nociceptive-pressor stimulation with and without suggestions of analgesia. ANOVA did not reveal any difference between highs and lows for heart rate and for the HRV indexes extracted from the series of the interbeat intervals (RR) of the ECG in the frequency (spectral analysis) and time domain (standard deviation, Poincare plot) in both basal and stimulation conditions. Factors possibly accounting for the results and likely responsible for an underestimation of group differences are discussed.
Santarcangelo
Enrica L
EL
University of Pisa, Italy. enricals@dfb.unipi.it
Carli
Giancarlo
G
Migliorini
Silvia
S
Fontani
Giuliano
G
Varanini
Maurizio
M
Balocchi
Rita
R
D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006991:Hypnosis, Anesthetic; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012119:Respiration; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013404:Suggestion; D055815:Young Adult