Effects of Direct and Indirect Suggestions for Analgesia: The Role of Hypnotizability and Expectation of Pain Relief.

Among the methods for cognitive control of pain, the suggestions for analgesia-direct or indirect-have been widely and successfully used in experimental and clinical trials. The primary aim of this study was to contribute to the debate about the difference in the effectiveness of indirect and direct suggestions for the management of experimental pain in the ordinary state of consciousness. The secondary aim of the study was to ascertain the role of hypnotizability and expectation of pain relief in the suggestions' effect.

The Role of Interoceptive Sensitivity and Hypnotizability in Motor Imagery.

Motor imagery (MI) requires the mental representation of the body, obtained by integrating exteroceptive and interoceptive information. This study aimed to investigate the role of interoceptive sensitivity (IS) in MI performed through visual and kinesthetic modalities by participants with low (lows, = 26; SHSS: A, + : 1.00 + 1.

Interoception as a function of hypnotizability during rest and a heartbeat counting task.

The hypnotizability-related differences in morpho-functional characteristics of the insula could at least partially account for the differences in interoceptive accuracy (IA) observed between high and low hypnotizable individuals (highs, lows). Our aim was to investigate interoceptive processing in highs, lows, and medium hypnotizable individuals (mediums), who represent most of the population, during a 10-minute open eyes relaxation condition (Part 1) and three repetitions of consecutive 2-minute open eyes, closed eyes, and heartbeat counting conditions, followed by a 2-minute post-counting condition (Part 2). Electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram were recorded in 14 highs, 14 mediums, and 18 lows, classified according to the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: Form A.

Hypnotizability-related risky experience and behavior.

Risk is the probability of an adverse event. The proneness to take a risk and the risk taking behavior differ among the general population. Hypnotizability is a stable psychophysiological trait expressing the individual proneness to modify perception, memory and behavior following specific suggestions also in the ordinary state of consciousness.

Physiological Correlates of Hypnotizability: Hypnotic Behaviour and Prognostic Role in Medicine.

Studies in the field of experimental hypnosis highlighted the role of hypnotizability in the physiological variability of the general population. It is associated, in fact, with a few differences which are observable in the ordinary state of consciousness and in the absence of suggestions. The aim of the present scoping review is summarizing them and indicate their relevance to the neural mechanisms of hypnosis and to the prognosis and treatment of a few medical conditions.