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‘Map of pain’ reveals how our ability to identify the source of pain varies across the body

By Guest PostJune 15, 2014Healthacute, atomstrom, bd2k, chronic pain, claudia kemfert, giandomenico iannetti, ivar leidus, knowledge initiative, masala curry, ming wen, nerve cells, wellcome trust, windmill

“Where does it hurt?” is the first question asked to any person in pain.

A new UCL study defines for the first time how our ability to identify where it hurts, called “spatial acuity”, varies across the body, being most sensitive at the forehead and fingertips.

Using lasers to cause pain to 26 healthy volunteers without any touch, the researchers produced the first systematic map of how acuity for pain is distributed across the body. The experiment, conducted in the group led by Dr Giandomenico Iannetti (UCL Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology), is published in the journal Annals of Neurology and was funded by the Wellcome Trust. (more…)

Crossing Your Arms Relieves Pain

Crossing your arms reduces the intensity of pain you feel when receiving a painful stimulus on the hand, according to research by scientists at UCL.

Published in the current issue of the journal PAIN, the research shows that crossing your arms over the midline (an imaginary line running vertically down the centre of the body) confuses the brain and reduces the intensity of the pain sensation. (more…)

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‘Map of pain’ reveals how our ability to identify the source of pain varies across the body

Crossing Your Arms Relieves Pain