title: Subjects' hypnotizability level affects somatosensory evoked potentials to non-painful and painful stimuli.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the working hypothesis that the EEG activity associated to non-painful and painful stimuli in condition of waking state (no hypnotic procedure) was related to the hypnotizability level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hypnotizability level was measured in 16 healthy subjects through the Italian version of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale (SHSS, score: 0-12). EEG data (56 electrodes) were recorded during non-painful and painful electrical stimuli applied to the left index finger. Cortical activity (vertex N1-P2 complex) was compared in subjects with low hypnotizability level (N=8, SHSS:0-6) vs. subjects with high hypnotizability level (N=8, SHSS:7-12).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The amplitude of the N1-P2 complex was lower in the High-hypnotizability compared to the Low-hypnotizability group over primary sensorimotor cortex (C3 and C4 electrodes) and centro-parietal midline areas (Cz and Pz electrodes) for non-painful and painful stimuli. The SHSS showed a statistically significant negative correlation with the vertex N1-P2 complex at C3 and Cz (r=-0.5, p<0.05) electrodes for non-painful stimuli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to the Low-hypnotizability subjects, High-hypnotizability subjects showed a reduced cortical activity related to non-painful and painful stimuli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest a relationship between hypnotizability and cortical activity related to non-painful and painful stimuli in the condition of waking state (no hypnotic effect).
authors.affiliation: IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Del Percio
authors.forename: Antonio Ivano
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Triggiani
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marzano
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Rosas
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valenzano
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petito
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bellomo
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soricelli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cibelli
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Babiloni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult