Bodily maps of emotions and pain: tactile and hedonic sensitivity in healthy controls and patients experiencing chronic pain
2023 (English)In: Pain, ISSN 0304-3959, E-ISSN 1872-6623, Vol. 164, no 12, p. 2665-2674Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.Bodily maps of emotions, pain, and sensitivities were evaluated in patients with chronic pain and healthy controls. Bodily maps of emotions of patients were dampened and compared with controls. Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. Both pain and emotions are warning signals against outside harm. Interoception, bodily sensations of emotions can be assessed with the emBODY tool where participants colour the body parts where they feel different emotions. Bodily maps of emotions (BMoE) have been shown to be similar between healthy individuals independent of age, sex, cultural background, and language. We used this tool to analyze how these body maps may differ between healthy controls and patients with persistent pain. We recruited 118 patients with chronic pain. An algorithm-selected matched controls from 2348 individuals who were recruited through social media, message boards, and student mailing lists. After providing background information, the participants completed the bodily topography colouring tasks with the emBODY tool using tablets (patients) and online using their own devices (controls), for pain, sensitivity for tactile, nociceptive and hedonic stimuli, and for the 6 basic emotions and a neutral state. Patients with pain coloured significantly larger areas for pain and more negative emotions. On the whole, their BMoEs were dampened compared with healthy controls. They also coloured more areas for nociceptive but not for tactile or hedonic sensitivity. Patients and controls marked different body areas as sensitive to nociceptive and tactile stimulation, but there was no difference in sensitivity to hedonic touch. Our findings suggest that emotional processing changes when pain persists, and this can be assessed with these colouring tasks. BMoEs may offer a new approach to assessing pain.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS , 2023. Vol. 164, no 12, p. 2665-2674
Keywords [en]
Embodiment; Somatosensation; Interoception; Emotions; Pain assessment; Chronic pain; CRPS; Fibromyalgia; Low back pain; Neuropathic pain; Bodily sensation maps
National Category
General Practice
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-200398DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003027ISI: 001104853100019PubMedID: 37678245OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-200398DiVA, id: diva2:1830904
Note
Funding Agencies|The authors thank the skilful research nurse (Merja Rantio, RN) This study was supported by the Academy of Finland (grants #294897 and #332225), Sigrid Juselius Foundation, Signe och Ane Gyllenbergapos;s Foundation, and Helsinki University Hospitalapos;s [294897, 332225]; Academy of Finland; Sigrid Juselius Foundation; Signe och Ane Gyllenbergapos;s Foundation; Helsinki University Hospitalapos;s research funds; Aalto Science-IT project
2024-01-242024-01-242024-11-25