Pain and Mental Imagery: Imagery Rescripting for Chronic Pain

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19789
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Teikyo University (2020-2023); Chiba University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Takanashi Rieko 帝京大学, 文学部, 講師 (30755848)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 慢性疼痛 / イメージ書き直し / 認知行動療法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We explored the content and function of negative images that chronic pain sufferers have when in pain. We created a manual for rescripting those images into more realistic or positive images, and examined the feasibility of this manual. Images that patients have when in pain include images related to pain, such as images of themselves being unable to move due to pain or the events that caused the pain, as well as images related to distrust in medical care. These images could be rescripted by using our manual. After rescripting, the mental fragility felt when holding the images in mind and the experience of pain improved.
However, in evaluations one week after rescripting and at three-month follow-up, no overall trend in effect was observed, with large individual differences.

Free Research Field

臨床心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

我が国を始めとした先進国においては，高齢化や疾病構造の変化に伴い慢性的な痛みを抱える人々が増加しており，その解決は喫緊の課題である。心理社会的な介入方法としてガイドラインで推奨される認知行動療法の効果をより高めるため，近年不安症やうつ病等の精神疾患で効果をあげている，症状発現時に抱えるイメージの書き直し技法を，慢性疼痛患者用に手続化し実行可能性を確かめた。また，疼痛時イメージの内容や機能を探索的に明らかにし，書き直しによってイメージ保持時の体験が改善する可能性を示唆した。一方，慢性疼痛保持患者に対するイメージ書き直しの影響に個人差が大きい可能性，手続きを洗練させる必要がある可能性を示唆した。