![]() | Reducing Pain by Shifting Attention |
By Melissa Lee Phillips Neuroscience for Kids Consultant September 12, 2002
![]() ![]() To direct subjects' attention away from pain, the researchers used the counting Stroop task. (The original color word Stroop task was not used because it requires that subjects move their heads while talking; this interrupts the brain scanning process.) During the counting Stroop, subjects saw between one and four words written on a screen. The subjects were asked to push a button indicating how many words they saw on the screen during each of two conditions: a neutral condition and an interference condition. |
Counting Stroop Test | |||
Neutral Condition
The words were "cat," "fox," "tiger," or "dog." So, for example, a
subject would see: FOX FOX The subject would push a button for "three" as quickly as possible because there were three words. |
Interference Condition The words were "one," "two," "three," or "four." So, for example, a subject might see:
ONE ONE The subject would need to push a button for "three" for this condition also because there were three words. However, because the subject was reading the word "one," the initial instinct was usually to push the "one" button instead of the "three" button. More attention is required to override this instinct and push the correct answer button. The researchers did a preliminary test that showed that reaction times were indeed slower -- and presumably, more attention was required -- for this interference condition. |
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The authors point out that their findings might be specific to a heat stimulus. Additional studies are needed to determine if these results can be extended to pain resulting from cuts, broken bones, or other trauma. It is also not known how effective attention diversion would be in situations of severe or long-lasting pain. Nevertheless, the identification of brain areas involved in attention and pain is an important step in developing new and safer ways to treat pain. |
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