Nostalgic feelings can reduce pain circuits in the brain, according to a study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that positive emotions can dampen pain perception, and the team investigated whether nostalgic feelings could also influence pain sensitivity. Participants were exposed to a heat pain stimulus while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to record their brain activity. They were also shown different images, including neutral pictures and those that evoked childhood memories. Those who viewed nostalgic images reported feeling less pain, particularly with weaker stimuli. The researchers found that nostalgia activated the anterior part of the thalamus, which is responsible for transmitting signals such as pain to the cerebral cortex. This transmission is influenced by nostalgia, and the study suggests that positive memories could be used in pain therapy, particularly for milder pain.
Pain is an important warning signal for the human body, but the subjective, neurological factor can determine how intensely pain is felt and whether it becomes chronic. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered that nostalgic feelings can reduce pain perception, based on the knowledge that positive emotions can dampen pain perception. The researchers investigated whether nostalgic feelings could also influence pain sensitivity, using fMRI to record brain activity while participants were exposed to a heat pain stimulus. Those who viewed nostalgic images reported feeling less pain, particularly with weaker stimuli. The researchers found that nostalgia activated the anterior part of the thalamus, which is responsible for transmitting signals such as pain to the cerebral cortex. This transmission is influenced by nostalgia, and the study suggests that positive memories could be used in pain therapy, particularly for milder pain.
