The effect of Rapid Induction Analgesia on subjective pain ratings and pain tolerance

RAPID INDUCTION ANALGESIA FOR CAPSAICIN-INDUCED PAIN IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

The effect of rapid-induction analgesia (RIA) hypnosis on capsaicin-induced pain was tested in 60 healthy volunteers allocated randomly to 1 of 3 conditions: listening to an RIA recording several times before and then during the session, only the in-session RIA intervention, or listening to relaxing music (the control condition). Participants who had listened to the RIA recording beforehand were significantly more relaxed than controls when differences between the groups were identified for pain intensity. These findings suggest that relaxation induced by RIA recordings can alleviate the affective component of pain. In addition, benefits of RIA may strengthen with practice.

How practitioners (and others) can make scientifically viable contributions to clinical-outcome research using the single-case time-series design

Although clinicians typically possess considerable interest in research, especially about which interventions do and do not work, all too often they dismiss the notion that they themselves can make viable scientific contributions to the outcome literature. This derives from an unfortunate assumption that the only true experiment is a between-groups experiment. There is another form of true experiment that is perfectly compatible with real-world clinical practice: the single-case time-series design. Intensive and systematic tracking of one or a few patients over time can yield viable inferences about efficacy, effectiveness, and, under some circumstances, mechanism of change. This paper describes how clinicians working with hypnosis can carry out such research. The rationale and essential features of time-series studies are outlined; each design is illustrated with actual studies from the hypnosis literature; and new methods of statistical analysis, well within the statistical competence of practitioners, are described.

Salient findings in the hypnosis literature: April 2002

Four important investigations were reported during the latter part of 2001. All address the biological impact of hypnotic interventions. Three of these studies focus specifically on if and how hypnotic interventions affect immune functions. A range of immune assays is employed, from allergic response to blood-based assays of immune functioning during nonlaboratory periods of stress. In all 3 cases, measurable shifts in immune functioning are associated with hypnotic interventions. A 4th compares the pattern of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) associated with hypnotic analgesia interventions and standard distraction protocols during exposure to pain.