Effects of Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations on Motor Imagery-Induced Thermal and Mechanical Hypoalgesia: A Single-Blind Randomised Controlled Trial

Ferran Cuenca-Martínez, Elena Bocos-Corredor, África Espinosa-Giménez, Laura Barrero-Santiago, Naira Nefa-Díaz, David Canchal-Crespo, Clovis Varangot-Reille, Aida Herranz-Gómez, Luis Suso-Martí (), Núria Sempere-Rubio () and Roy La Touche
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Ferran Cuenca-Martínez: Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
Elena Bocos-Corredor: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
África Espinosa-Giménez: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Laura Barrero-Santiago: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Naira Nefa-Díaz: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
David Canchal-Crespo: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Clovis Varangot-Reille: Exercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Aida Herranz-Gómez: Exercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Luis Suso-Martí: Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
Núria Sempere-Rubio: UBIC, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Physiotherapy, Universitat de València, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Roy La Touche: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: The main aim of this study was to assess whether self-efficacy (SE) and outcome expectations (OEs) modulate the hypoalgesic effect induced by motor imagery (MI). A total of 75 asymptomatic participants were randomly assigned to the positive (SE+, OE+), negative (SE−, OE−) or non-expectation (CG) groups. Heat pain threshold (HPT) and pain pressure threshold (PPT) were the main variables. Cold detection threshold (CDT), warm detection threshold (WDT), heart rate (HR) and perceived fatigue were the secondary variables. The variables were assessed preintervention, immediately postintervention and 10 min postintervention, except for HR, which was measured continuously during the intervention. Regarding HPT, significant within-group pre-post differences were found in the OE+ group, with a low effect size ( p = 0.01, d = −0.39). With regard to ΔPPT, significant intergroup differences were found in Δpost-pre between the SE+ and CG groups ( p = 0.012, d = 1.04) and also between SE+ and OE− ( p = 0.006, d = 1.08), both with a large effect size. CG, SE−, and OE− groups had poorer CDT and WDT. Regarding HR, significant intergroup differences were found in the postintervention measurement between OE+ and SE−, with a large effect size ( p = 0.016, d = 1.34). Lastly, no between-group differences were found regarding perceived fatigue ( p > 0.05). The results obtained showed that positive expectations have a slight influence on the increase in heat and mechanical pain detection thresholds. Positive and non-expectancy groups showed an autonomic activation. The results also showed that negative expectations led to poorer perceptual processes.

Keywords: pain expectations; motor imagery; self-efficacy; outcome expectations; pain modulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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