research
Experimental Psychopathology Head: Dr. Mar Russ-Calafel, Dr. Kathrin Schopf |
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Principal Investigator and Team
Prof. Dr. Tanja Hechler
Luca Schaan, M.Sc.
Prof. Dr. Silvia Schneider
Dr. Dirk Adolph
Piotr Gruszka, Mag.
Collaborator
Dr. Christoph Benke
Funding
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SCHN 415/5-1) September 2015 – September 2018
Duration
September 2015 – September 2018
Description
Chronic pain disorders in adolescents are highly disabling and a significant
health problem. Increasing research evidence underlines the importance of
interoceptive processes, especially in the aetiology of headache and abdominal
pain. We study whether the anticipation, perception or imagery of innocuous
interoceptive sensations can elicit defence response mobilization in
adolescents (11 to 18 years) with chronic headache (n=40), abdominal pain
(n=40) and healthy controls (n=40). Based on the proximity hypothesis, it is
hypothesized that stimuli from the same body region (proximal) are more likely
to evoke defence response mobilization than stimuli from distal body regions.
Responses are measured using a multimodal assessment approach consisting of
self-report and peripheral physiological reactivity, including skin
conductance level, heart rate and startle potentiation.