The DOI matches its Crossref record; 75 of the 75 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Uncertainty Increases Pain: Evidence for a Novel Mechanism of Pain Modulation Involving the Periaqueductal Gray
Open accessAbstract
Predictions about sensory input exert a dominant effect on what we perceive, and this is particularly true for the experience of pain. However, it remains unclear what component of prediction, from an information-theoretic perspective, controls this effect. We used a vicarious pain observation paradigm to study how the underlying statistics of predictive information modulate experience. Subjects observed judgments that a group of people made to a painful thermal stimulus, before receiving the same stimulus themselves. We show that the mean observed rating exerted a strong assimilative effect on subjective pain. In addition, we show that observed uncertainty had a specific and potent hyperalgesic effect. Using computational functional magnetic resonance imaging, we found that this effect correlated with activity in the periaqueductal gray. Our results provide evidence for a novel form of cognitive hyperalgesia relating to perceptual uncertainty, induced here by vicarious observation, with control mediated by the brainstem pain modulatory system.
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In the citing paper
“The basic psychological mechanisms underlying the formation of negative expectations and thus, nocebo effects, are anticipation of and information about negative outcomes,34,76 prior lack of therapeutic effectiveness,33,34 and observation of other patients' pain worsening.42,60,74,77,78”
From Nocebo and pain: an overview of the psychoneurobiological mechanisms (2017) · cites this paper as [78]
In the citing paper
“Results demonstrated a significant difference in the pain ratings as an effect of group condition, and also as an effect of ointment applications within each condition.”
From Nocebo and pain: an overview of the psychoneurobiological mechanisms (2017) · cites this paper as [78]
In the citing paper
“In this study, nocebo responses were correlated with hypochondriacal trepidations as well as somatic complaints in the control condition group but not in the nocebo group.78”
From Nocebo and pain: an overview of the psychoneurobiological mechanisms (2017) · cites this paper as [78]
In the citing paper
“Furthermore, ratings of pain were higher in the nocebo condition than that in the control condition, which suggests a potentiated perception of pain related to the social observation.”
From Nocebo and pain: an overview of the psychoneurobiological mechanisms (2017) · cites this paper as [78]
In the citing paper
“Women within both the nocebo and control conditions reported more pain with application of the ointment.”
From Nocebo and pain: an overview of the psychoneurobiological mechanisms (2017) · cites this paper as [78]
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Citations
Cites
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“Accordingly, perception is viewed as an inference about the underlying cause of a sensory event: prediction is viewed as a perceptual prior, integrated with afferent input to generate subjective experience (Yuille and Kersten, 2006; Friston, 2010).”
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Empathy for Pain Involves the Affective but not Sensory Components of Pain
Singer, T., Seymour, B., O'Doherty, J., Kaube, H., Dolan, R. J., & Frith, C. D. (2004) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1093535 · Cited by 3,929
Self-citationThe validation of visual analogue scales as ratio scale measures for chronic and experimental pain
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Endogenous Pain Control Systems: Brainstem Spinal Pathways and Endorphin Circuitry
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Psychological and neural mechanisms of the affective dimension of pain
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Placebo-Induced Changes in fMRI in the Anticipation and Experience of Pain
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Placebo Analgesia: A Predictive Coding Perspective
Büchel, C., Geuter, S., Sprenger, C., & Eippert, F. (2014) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2014.02.042 · Cited by 505
Computations of uncertainty mediate acute stress responses in humans
de Berker, A. O., Rutledge, R. B., Mathys, C., Marshall, L., Cross, G. F., Dolan, R. J., & Bestmann, S. (2016) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/ncomms10996 · Cited by 330
Self-citationThe neurobiology of skeletal pain
Mantyh, P. W. (2014) · European Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1111/ejn.12462 · Cited by 195
Pain: A Precision Signal for Reinforcement Learning and Control
Seymour, B. (2019) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.055 · Cited by 175
Self-citationWhat’s in a word? How instructions, suggestions, and social information change pain and emotion
Koban, L., Jepma, M., Geuter, S., & Wager, T. D. (2017) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.014 · Cited by 166
Metadata
- Authors
- Yoshida, W., Seymour, B., Koltzenburg, M., & Dolan, R. J.
- Affiliations
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (GB)
- Venue
- The Journal of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Society for Neuroscience
- Published
- 2013-03-27
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 13
- Pages
- 5638-5646
- ISSN
- 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
- 1529-2401
- PMC
- PMC3701089
- OpenAlex
- W2085014216
- Cited by
- 165
- References
- 74
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 6.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Cambridge University Engineering Department Publications Database (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (091593, 078865/Z/05/Z, 078865, 098362, 098362/Z/12/Z, 091593/Z/10/Z)
- Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
- Medical Research Council (MR/K000608/1, MR/K015222/1)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Pain Management and Placebo Effect
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Treatment
- Keywords
- pain perception, uncertainty, periaqueductal gray, predictive information, assimilation, thermal pain
- MeSH terms
- Brain Mapping, Computer Simulation, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Models, Biological, Oxygen, Pain, Pain Measurement, Periaqueductal Gray, Physical Stimulation, Pain Threshold, Uncertainty, Pain Perception
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