Electrophysiological Correlates of Nocebo Effects on Pain

During baseline pain stimulations, a comparison block will include 6 high- and 2 moderate-pain stimulations.

"During nocebo induction trials, the conditioned stimulus (i.e., a sham medical gel that can increase pain sensitivity, named TDA and contained in either a brown or a blue jar) is paired to unconditioned high-pain stimuli (nocebo trials). Lower 'baseline' pain is paired with no gel application (control trials)."

"During nocebo evocation, lower pain stimulations are administered both after the administration of the conditioned stimulus (i.e., a sham medical gel TDA) and the control stimulus (no medical gel), in order to evoke nocebo responses to the sham hyperalgesic medication."

In the single group of participants, EEG recordings will be conducted during baseline, during a first resting-state of 5-minutes, during induction/evocation of nocebo responses, and during a second resting-state of 5-minutes.