title: Effects of hypnotic focused analgesia on dental pain threshold.
abstract: The rate, intensity, and selectivity of hypnotic focused analgesia (HFA) were tested with dental pulp stimulation. Thirty-one healthy subjects were hypnotized, and hypnotic suggestions were given for anesthesia of the right mandibular arch. A posthypnotic suggestion of persisting analgesia was also given. The pain threshold of the first premolar was bilaterally measured before, during, and after hypnosis using a pulp tester. During hypnosis, the pain threshold increased significantly (p < .0001) for both sides. The posthypnotic right pain threshold was also significantly (p < .0015) higher than in the basal condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medico-Surgical Specialities, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 2, Padua, Italy. enrico.facco@unipd.it
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Facco
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casiglia
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masiero
authors.forename: Valery
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tikhonoff
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giacomello
authors.forename: Gastone
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zanette
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006992:Hypnosis, Dental / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology