Abstract

Interpersonal touch and social support can influence physical health, mental well-being and pain. However, the mechanisms by which supportive touch promotes analgesia are not well understood. In Study 1, we tested how three kinds of social support from a romantic partner (passive presence, gentle stroking and handholding) affect pain ratings and skin conductance responses (SCRs). Overall, support reduced pain ratings in women, but not men, relative to baseline. Support decreased pain-related SCRs in both women and men. Though there were no significant differences across the three support conditions, effects were largest during handholding. Handholding also reduced SCRs in the supportive partner. Additionally, synchronicity in couples’ SCR was correlated with reductions in self-reported pain, and individual differences in synchrony were correlated with the partner’s trait empathy. In Study 2, we re-analyzed an existing dataset to explore fMRI activity related to individual differences in handholding analgesia effects in women. Increased activity in a distributed set of brain regions, including valuation-encoding frontostriatal areas, was correlated with lower pain ratings. These results may suggest that social support can reduce pain by changing the value of nociceptive signals. This reduction may be moderated by interpersonal synchrony and relationship dynamics.

中文翻译：

---

触觉和社会支持影响人际同步和痛苦。

摘要

人际交往和社会支持会影响身体健康、心理健康和疼痛。然而，支持性触摸促进镇痛的机制尚不清楚。在研究 1 中，我们测试了来自浪漫伴侣的三种社会支持（被动存在、轻柔抚摸和牵手）如何影响疼痛评分和皮肤电导反应 (SCR)。总体而言，相对于基线，支持降低女性的疼痛等级，但不支持男性。支持减少女性和男性与疼痛相关的 SCR。尽管三种支持条件之间没有显着差异，但在手持期间影响最大​​。牵手也减少了支持性伴侣的 SCR。此外，夫妻 SCR 的同步性与自我报告疼痛的减少有关，同步性的个体差异与伴侣的特质共情相关。在研究 2 中，我们重新分析了现有数据集，以探索与女性手持镇痛效果的个体差异相关的 fMRI 活动。一组分布式大脑区域的活动增加，包括评估编码的额纹状体区域，与较低的疼痛等级相关。这些结果可能表明社会支持可以通过改变伤害性信号的价值来减轻疼痛。这种减少可能会受到人际同步和关系动态的影响。包括估值编码额纹状体区域，与较低的疼痛等级相关。这些结果可能表明社会支持可以通过改变伤害性信号的价值来减轻疼痛。这种减少可能会受到人际同步和关系动态的影响。包括估值编码额纹状体区域，与较低的疼痛等级相关。这些结果可能表明社会支持可以通过改变伤害性信号的价值来减轻疼痛。这种减少可能会受到人际同步和关系动态的影响。