Pain Effect on Attention Using an Ipad Game App

For the heat induced thermal pain, the research nurse will train the subject to estimate pain quantitatively using a 2 cm 2 Peltier controlled thermode (TSA®) applied to the skin of the arm. Typically, the subject is exposed to temperatures between 41° and 49° C using a random staircase method. After the volunteer learns to qualitatively estimate the thermal pain, pain will be established by heating the the leg with a 4 cm2 Peltier controlled thermode (TSA®) for 90 seconds with the probe clamped at a thermal intensity of 47°C.

Cold pain will be induced by placing a foot in a container of circulating water maintained at 10°C for 90 seconds (n=20). Half (n=20) of the subjects will have the foot placed in body temperature water of 38°C.