Could Acetaminophen Ease Psychological Pain?

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Could Acetaminophen Ease Psychological Pain?

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174750.php

Headaches and heartaches. Broken bones and broken spirits. Hurting bodies and

hurt feelings. We often use the same words to describe physical and mental pain.

Over-the-counter pain relieving drugs have long been used to alleviate physical

pain, while a host of other medications have been employed in the treatment of

depression and anxiety. But is it possible that a common painkiller could serve

double duty, easing not just the physical pains of sore joints and headaches,

but also the pain of social rejection? A research team led by psychologist C.

DeWall of the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Psychology has uncovered evidence indicating that acetaminophen

(the active ingredient in Tylenol) may blunt social pain.

" The idea - that a drug designed to alleviate physical pain should reduce the

pain of social rejection - seemed simple and straightforward based on what we

know about neural overlap between social and physical pain systems. To my

surprise, I couldn't find anyone who had ever tested this idea, " DeWall said.

According to a study due to be published in the journal Psychological Science,

DeWall and colleagues were correct. Physical and social pain appear to overlap

in the brain, relying on some of the same behavioral and neural mechanisms.

DeWall and colleagues investigated this connection through two experiments. In

the first experiment, 62 healthy volunteers took 1,000 milligrams daily of

either acetaminophen or a placebo. Each evening, participants reported how much

they experienced social pain using a version of the " Hurt Feelings Scale " - a

measurement tool widely accepted by psychologists as a valid measure of social

pain. Hurt feelings and social pain decreased over time in those taking

acetaminophen, while no change was observed in subjects taking the placebo.

Levels of positive emotions remained stable, with no significant changes

observed in either group. These results indicate that acetaminophen use may

decrease self-reported social pain over time, by impacting emotions linked to

hurt feelings.

" We were very excited about these initial findings, " DeWall said. " The next step

was to identify the neural mechanisms underlying the findings. "

In the second experiment, 25 healthy volunteers took 2,000 milligrams daily of

either acetaminophen or a placebo. After three weeks of taking the pills,

subjects participated in a computer game rigged to create feelings of social

rejection. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) employed during the game

revealed that acetaminophen reduced neural responses to social rejection in

brain regions associated with the distress of social pain and the affective

component of physical pain (the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior

insula). In other words, the parts of the brain associated with physical lit up

in the placebo subjects when they were rejected, while the acetaminophen group

displayed significantly less activity in these brain areas in response to

rejection.

According to the academic paper detailing the experiments: " ...findings suggest

that at least temporary mitigation of social pain-related distress may be

achieved by means of an over-the-counter painkiller that is normally used for

physical aches and pains. Furthermore, many studies have shown that being

rejected can trigger aggressive and antisocial behavior, which could lead to

further complications in social life... .If acetaminophen reduces the distress

of rejection, the antisocial behavioral consequences of rejection may be reduced

as well. "

Researchers caution that readers should not immediately stock up on

acetaminophen to ease social pain and anxiety, noting " [t]o be sure, our

findings do not constitute a call for widespread use of acetaminophen to cope

with all types of personal problems. Future research is needed to verify the

potential benefits of acetaminophen on reducing emotional and antisocial

responses to social rejection. " Long-term use of acetaminophen has also been

linked to serious liver damage, so it is important for patients to follow all

package directions and consult their physicians if they are contemplating taking

any medication for an off-label use.

" This research has the potential to change how scientists and laypersons

understand physical and social pain. Social pain, such as chronic loneliness,

damages health as much as smoking and obesity. We hope our findings can pave the

way for interventions designed to reduce the pain of social rejection, " DeWall

said.