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Synaesthesia-type associations and perceptual changes induced by hypnotic suggestion.

ABSTRACT: Are synaesthetic experiences congenital and so hard-wired, or can a functional analogue be created? We induced an equivalent of form-colour synaesthesia using hypnotic suggestions in which symbols in an array (circles, crosses, squares) were suggested always to have a certain colour. In a Stroop type-naming task, three of the four highly hypnotizable participants showed a strong synaesthesia-type association between symbol and colour. This was verified both by their subjective reports and objective eye-movement behaviour. Two resembled a projector- and one an associator-type synaesthete. Participant interviews revealed that subjective experiences differed somewhat from typical (congenital) synaesthesia. Control participants who mimicked the task using cognitive strategies showed a very different response pattern. Overall, the results show that the targeted, preconsciously triggered associations and perceptual changes seen in association with congenital synaesthesia can rapidly be induced by hypnosis. They suggest that each participant's subjective experience of the task should be carefully evaluated, especially when studying hypnotic hallucinations. Studying such experiences can increase understanding of perception, automaticity, and awareness and open unique opportunities in cognitive neuroscience and consciousness research.

SUBMITTER: Kallio S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5725458 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Synaesthesia-type associations and perceptual changes induced by hypnotic suggestion.

Kallio Sakari S Koivisto Mika M Kaakinen Johanna K JK

Scientific reports 20171211 1

Are synaesthetic experiences congenital and so hard-wired, or can a functional analogue be created? We induced an equivalent of form-colour synaesthesia using hypnotic suggestions in which symbols in an array (circles, crosses, squares) were suggested always to have a certain colour. In a Stroop type-naming task, three of the four highly hypnotizable participants showed a strong synaesthesia-type association between symbol and colour. This was verified both by their subjective reports and object ...[more]

PMID: 29229939

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Project description:BackgroundMedical management of acute pain among hospital inpatients may be enhanced by mind-body interventions.ObjectiveWe hypothesized that a single, scripted session of mindfulness training focused on acceptance of pain or hypnotic suggestion focused on changing pain sensations through imagery would significantly reduce acute pain intensity and unpleasantness compared to a psychoeducation pain coping control. We also hypothesized that mindfulness and suggestion would produce significant improvements in secondary outcomes including relaxation, pleasant body sensations, anxiety, and desire for opioids, compared to the control condition.MethodsThis three-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial conducted at a university-based hospital examined the acute effects of 15-min psychosocial interventions (mindfulness, hypnotic suggestion, psychoeducation) on adult inpatients reporting "intolerable pain" or "inadequate pain control." Participants (N = 244) were assigned to one of three intervention conditions: mindfulness (n = 86), suggestion (n = 73), or psychoeducation (n = 85).Key resultsParticipants in the mind-body interventions reported significantly lower baseline-adjusted pain intensity post-intervention than those assigned to psychoeducation (p < 0.001, percentage pain reduction: mindfulness = 23%, suggestion = 29%, education = 9%), and lower baseline-adjusted pain unpleasantness (p < 0.001). Intervention conditions differed significantly with regard to relaxation (p < 0.001), pleasurable body sensations (p = 0.001), and desire for opioids (p = 0.015), but all three interventions were associated with a significant reduction in anxiety (p < 0.001).ConclusionsBrief, single-session mind-body interventions delivered by hospital social workers led to clinically significant improvements in pain and related outcomes, suggesting that such interventions may be useful adjuncts to medical pain management.Trial registrationTrial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov ; registration ID number: NCT02590029 URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02590029.

Project description:ObjectivesEstablishment of effective evidence-based interventions in rehabilitation of working memory (WM) deficits after acquired brain injury (ABI) is sorely needed. Despite robust evidence for the efficiency of clinical hypnosis in a wide range of clinical conditions, and improved understanding of mechanisms underlying its effects, the potential of clinical hypnosis in cognitive rehabilitation is underexplored. A recent study has shown large effects of hypnotic suggestion on WM capacity following ABI. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate and explore the replicability of these findings and examine the generalization of treatment effects. The study will also explore possible mechanisms of change.MethodsNinety patients will be recruited from the Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital. Inclusion criteria are nonprogressive ABI, minimum 12-month post-injury, ongoing WM deficits, and age between 18 and 67 years. Patients will be randomized to either (a) an intervention group receiving four weekly 1-h sessions with induction and hypnosis, (b) an active control group receiving four weekly 1-h sessions of induction and mindfulness, or (c) a passive control group without intervention. The targeted procedure consists of suggestions about enhancing WM functions, for example through the instantiation of preinjury WM capacity in the present using age regression or through visualizations of brain plasticity. The non-targeted suggestions contain no explicit mention of ABI- or WM-related abilities. Each participant will be assessed at baseline, immediately after intervention, and 6 months after baseline. The primary outcome is the WM index from WAIS-IV and self- and informant-reported WM subscale from BRIEF-A, a questionnaire exploring executive functioning in everyday life. Secondary outcomes include a cognitive composite score derived from tests measuring processing speed, executive functions, learning capacity and memory, and self-reported measures of emotional distress, quality of life, and community integration. Exploratory measures include self-rated ABI and WM-related self-efficacy.DiscussionRehabilitation of impaired WM after ABI has hitherto yielded limited transfer effects beyond the training material, i.e., improvement effects on everyday WM capacity, and clinical trials of new interventions are thus warranted. Long-standing empirical evidence demonstrates that hypnosis is an effective therapeutic technique in a wide range of conditions, and recent exploratory research has suggested a high efficacy of hypnosis in improving WM capacity in patients with ABI. However, these extraordinary findings need replication in studies applying scientifically rigorous designs. If successful, our ambition is to provide recommendations and materials to implement hypnotic suggestion as an adjunct treatment following ABI. Study findings may inform future studies exploring the use of clinical hypnosis in other areas of rehabilitation, such as mild TBI, and in other neurological conditions where WM deficit is prominent.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05287542. Registered on March 2022 PROTOCOL VERSION: Protocol version 2.0, December 2023.

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Synaesthesia-type associations and perceptual changes induced by hypnotic suggestion.

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Synaesthesia-type associations and perceptual changes induced by hypnotic suggestion.

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