Increased cerebral functional connectivity underlying the antinociceptive effects of hypnosis

American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis,  Oct 2004  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

Faymonville, M., Roediger, L., Fiore, G. D., Delgueldre, C., Phillips, C., Lamy, M., Luxen, A., Maquet, P., & Laureys, S. (2003). Increased cerebral functional connectivity underlying the antinociceptive effects of hypnosis. Cognitive Brain Research, 17, 255-262. This study assessed changes in cerebral functional connectivity related to the hypnotic state, compared to simple distraction and the resting state.

Nineteen highly hypnotizable right-handed volunteers were studied using positron emission tomography (PET). The experimental conditions were hot-noxious or warm-nonnoxious stimulation of the right hand during resting state, mental imagery, and hypnotic state. Using a psychophysiological interaction analysis, we identified brain areas that would respond to noxious stimulations under the modulatory action of the midcingulate cortex in, and only in, the hypnotic state. Hypnosis, compared to the resting state, reduced pain perception by 50%. Pain perception during rest and mental imagery was not significantly different. Analysis of PET data showed that the hypnotic state, compared to normal alertness (i.e., rest and mental imagery), significantly enhanced the functional modulation between midcingulate cortex and a large neural network encompassing bilateral insula, pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, presupplementary motor area, right prefrontal cortex and striatum, thalamus and brainstem.

Copyright American Society of Clinical Hypnosis Oct 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved