Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Wiech, Katja

Titel

Deconstructing the sensation of pain: The influence of cognitive processes on pain perception

Ist Teil von

• Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 2016-11, Vol.354 (6312), p.584-587

Ort / Verlag

United States: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Erscheinungsjahr

2016

Quelle

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Phenomena such as placebo analgesia or pain relief through distraction highlight the powerful influence cognitive processes and learning mechanisms have on the way we perceive pain. Although contemporary models of pain acknowledge that pain is not a direct readout of nociceptive input, the neuronal processes underlying cognitive modulation are not yet fully understood. Modern concepts of perception—which include computational modeling to quantify the influence of cognitive processes—suggest that perception is critically determined by expectations and their modification through learning. Research on pain has just begun to embrace this view. Insights into these processes promise to open up new avenues to pain prevention and treatment by harnessing the power of the mind.