Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34399009›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of pain (London, England)2022

When one suffers less, all suffer less: Individual pain ratings are more effective than group ratings in producing placebo hypoalgesia.

Elżbieta Anita Bajcar, Karolina Wiercioch-Kuzianik, Justyna Brączyk, Dominika Farley, Helena Bieniek, Przemysław Bąbel

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of pain (London, England), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Elżbieta Anita BajcarPain Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
Karolina Wiercioch-KuzianikPain Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
Justyna BrączykPain Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
Dominika FarleyPain Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
Helena BieniekPain Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
Przemysław BąbelPain Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
Institute of Psychology · PLJagiellonian University · PL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPlacebo hypoalgesia can be induced by observing a person (model) whose pain relief is the result of the use of an inert substance or procedure. This study examined whether verbal modelling, that is, showing pain ratings provided by other people, is sufficient to induce placebo hypoalgesia.

methodsParticipants from the experimental groups were acquainted with pain ratings (presented on VASs) derived from a single person (groups 1 and 3) or a group of people (groups 2 and 4) that were allegedly subjected to the same painful procedure. The ratings of pain stimuli that were allegedly applied with placebo were lower than the ratings of stimuli applied without placebo. In two of the experimental groups (group 3 and 4), participants also watched a video recording showing individuals who allegedly provided pain ratings; however, they did not observe them undergoing pain stimulation. The control group did not undergo any manipulation. Then, the participants received a series of the same thermal pain stimuli that were applied either with or without placebo and rated their intensity.

resultsPlacebo hypoalgesia was induced only in participants presented with pain ratings provided by a single person, regardless of whether this person was previously seen. However, the pain ratings presented to the participants generally decreased individual pain sensations, regardless of whether they came from a group of people or a single person.

conclusionsVerbal modelling can produce placebo hypoalgesia and reduce pain sensations. It may be effectively used in clinical practice to modify patients' responses to pain treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows that knowledge about pain ratings provided by another person is sufficient to induce placebo hypoalgesia; thus, neither direct nor indirect observation of a person experiencing pain is necessary to induce this effect. Pain ratings derived from a group of people can decrease pain sensations but they do not produce placebo hypoalgesia.

Indexed as

PainPain PerceptionHumansPain ManagementPain Measurement

Identifiers

PMID34399009
PMCPMC9290059
OpenAlexW3195544091

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.