Valence and Arousal Value of Visual Stimuli and Their Role in the Mitigation of Chronic Pain: What Is the Power of Pictures?

The present study investigated the pain-reducing effects of various pictures in a sample of 88 patients receiving inpatient treatment for chronic pain. We investigated whether the pain-attenuating effects of the pictures were mediated by picture valence, arousal, or change in subjective social support. The study was carried out over 4 consecutive days. Patients were presented with photographs of loved ones, strangers, landscapes, or optical illusions via digital albums and were asked to rate their pain intensity and their sensory and affective experience of pain immediately before and after viewing the pictures. They also evaluated the valence of the pictures and the extent to which they were arousing. Before and after participation in the study, patients provided information on their subjective social support. The valence attributed to the pictures varied; photographs of loved ones elicited the greatest pleasure. Pictures of varying emotional content and arousal value all reduced affective and sensory perceptions of pain. Viewing photographs of loved ones reduced pain intensity more than viewing other picture types. The association between picture type and decrease in pain intensity was mediated by picture valence. These findings suggest an easy to implement supplementary intervention that could be used in multidisciplinary pain treatment. PERSPECTIVE: To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that pictures mitigate pain in chronic pain patients receiving treatment in a multidisciplinary pain center. The procedure could be used routinely to treat pain, particularly severe pain.