Brief Compassion-Focused Imagery Dampens Physiological Pain Responses
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Brief Compassion-Focused Imagery Dampens Physiological Pain Responses Frances A. Maratos 1
&
David Sheffield 1
# The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Objectives Affiliative processes are postulated to improve pain coping. Comparatively, compassion-focused imagery (CFI) also stimulates affiliate affect systems with a burgeoning behavioural, cognitive and physiological evidence base. Thus, the purpose of the present research was to investigate if engaging in brief CFI could improve pain coping. Methods Utilising a randomised repeated measures crossover design, 37 participants were subjected to experimental pain (cold pressor) following counter-balanced engagement with CFI or control imagery, 1 week apart. Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and questionnaire measures of emotional responding were taken: at baseline, following introduction to the imagery condition (anticipation), and immediately after the cold pressor pain task (actual). Results Participants exhibited increases in sAA levels in response to pain following control imagery but, no such changes were observed following CFI (i.e. there was a significant time-by-condition interaction). Pain tolerance (the length of time participants immersed their hands in the cold pressor) did not differ by imagery condition. However, sAA responses to actual pain predicted decreased pain tolerance in the CFI condition. Additionally, anticipatory sAA response predicted increased pain tolerance across both conditions. None of the emotional measures of well-being differed by imagery condition, nor by condition over time. Conclusions These data demonstrate that using CFI can curtail a physiological stress response to pain, as indicated by increases in sAA in the control imagery condition only, following pain; pain tolerance was not influenced by CFI. Compassion-based approaches may therefore help people cope with the stress associated with pain. Keywords Compassion . Acute pain . Pain anticipation . Pain tolerance . Salivary alpha-amylase . Nature
There is growing evidence that focusing on the cultivation of compassion-based emotions has important effects on mental states and well-being (Hofmann et al. 2011; Maratos et al. 2019). Research demonstrates that compassion-focused interventions are effective in both clinical and non-clinical populations (Kirby et al. 2017b). The effectiveness of such interventions is often argued to reflect their empirical bases, including that compassion-focused interventions are derived from an understanding of evolutionary and functional analysis of basic motivational systems. To expand, in the compassion approach originated by Gilbert (see Gilbert 2014, for review), it is argued that the brain is highly evolved for social
* Frances A. Maratos [email protected] 1
Human Sciences Research Centre, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
processes. Central to this, and supported by neurophysiological research (e.g. Longe et al. 2010; but see also Kim et al. 2020a), is the idea of three affect systems within the brain. These
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