In recent years, epidemiological data has shown an increasing number of young people who deliberately self-injure. There have also been parallel increases in the number of people with tattoos and those who voluntarily undergo painful procedures associated with piercing, scarification, and tattooing. People with self-injury behaviors often say that they do not feel the pain. However, there is no information regarding pain perception in those that visit tattoo parlors and piercing studios compared to those who don’t. The aim of this study was to compare nociceptive sensitivity in four groups of subjects (n=105, mean age 26 years, 48 women and 57 men) with different motivations to experience pain (i.e., with and without multiple body modifications) in two different situations; (1) in controlled, emotionally neutral conditions, and (2) at a "Hell Party" (HP), an event organized by a piercing and tattoo parlor, with a main event featuring a public demonstration of painful techniques (burn scars, hanging on hooks, etc.). Pain thresholds of the fingers of the hand were measured using a thermal stimulator and mechanical algometer. In HP participants, information about alcohol intake, self-harming behavior, and psychiatric history were used in the analysis as intervening variables. Individuals with body modifications as well
as without body modifications had higher thermal pain thresholds at Hell Party, compared to thresholds measured at control neutral conditions. No such differences were found relative to mechanical pain thresholds. Increased pain threshold in all HP participants, irrespectively of body modification, cannot be simply explained by a decrease in the sensory component of pain; instead, we found that the environment significantly influenced the cognitive and affective component of pain.
Methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH/Ritalin) is a stimulant used for off-label management of cancer-related fatigue and sedation; however, its use in pain treatment is still relatively rare. This study 1) compares the antinociceptive effect of MPH and its combination with morphine (MOR) in adult male Wistar rats after a single administration of MPH, MOR or their combination, and 2) compares the analgesic effects of opioids and Ritalin co
mbined therapy with opioid monotherapy in patients with cancer pain. To
objectively assess physical activity during a three-week monitoring period, patients were equipped with Actiwatch Score Actigraph. Patients performed daily evaluations of pain intensity and frequency, and the extent to which pain interfered with their daily life. Our research with rats supports the evidence that MPH in lower doses has the ability to enhance the analgesic properties of morphine when the two drugs are used in combination. Results from the patient arm of our study found that short
-term treatment had no significant effect on intensity or frequency of
pain, however it decreased the overall burden of pain; the combined treatment of opioid and Ritalin also showed anti-sedation effects and resulted in mild improvement in one of our patient’s quality of life.