title: Rumination and interoceptive accuracy predict the occurrence of the thermal grill illusion of pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the thermal grill illusion of pain (TGI) have been thoroughly studied, psychological determinants largely remain unknown. The present study aimed to investigate whether cognitive and affective personality traits encompassing rumination, interoception, and suggestibility may be identified as characteristics favouring the elicitation of paradoxical pain experiences.
  
  
  METHODS
  The dominant hand of 54 healthy volunteers was stimulated with a water-bath driven thermal grill providing an interlaced temperature combination of 15 and 41°C. Pain intensity and pain unpleasantness perceptions were rated on a combined verbal-numerical scale (NRS). Traits were assessed via questionnaires, the heartbeat-tracking task, and warmth suggestions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Logistic regression analyses uncovered trait rumination and interoceptive accuracy (IA) as major predictors of the likelihood of the illusive pain occurrence (all p < .05). Rumination and suggestibility had an impact on unpleasant pain perceptions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings allowed identifying psychological factors substantially involved in the individual pre-disposition to reporting painful sensations in the thermal grill paradigm. These psychological characteristics may also be relevant in the context of central neuropathic pain, which to a large extent incorporates the same neural pathways.
authors: Institute of Health and Behaviour, Integrative Research Unit on Social and Individual Development, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.
authors: Raymonde
authors: R
authors: Scheuren
authors: Section of Psychology, Lillehammer University College, Lillehammer, Norway ; Research Group Health Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium ; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Sütterlin
authors: Institute of Health and Behaviour, Integrative Research Unit on Social and Individual Development, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.
authors: Fernand
authors: F
authors: Anton