Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty? It Could Affect the Way You Experience Pain

Are you a "glass half full" or "glass half empty" kind of person? It could make a difference in the way you react to pain and other medical treatments, according to a sophisticated new study.

The study involved subjecting 22 healthy volunteers to heat pain and then treating them with a fast-metabolizing, morphine-based painkiller while scanning their brains as they described the pain they were feeling.

The researchers were able to affect the volunteers' level of perceived pain by lying to them - for example, telling them that their painkillers were about to wear off and that they would again soon be experienced increased pain when in reality the painkiller hadn't worn off.

The scans of the volunteers' brains revealed increased activity in certain pain- and stress-related areas of the brain while the volunteers were being lied to, suggesting that their outlook had real therapy-negating effects.

The study's findings could have a major impact on the treatment of people with chronic illnesses, many of whom are elderly, who often have a negative mindset regarding their treatments. Researchers are optimistic that overcoming pessimistic patient views could enhance medical therapies.

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