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Hypoalgesia in Depressive Illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

David I. Ben-Tovim
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, St George's Hospital, London, SW17
Martin S. Schwartz
Affiliation:
Atkinson Morley's Hospital, Copse Hill, London, SW20

Summary

Neurophysiological studies of experimental pain were carried out on two severely depressed patients who complained of an inability to experience emotion. They had normal thresholds for stimulus appreciation but markedly increased thresholds for pain. These abnormal pain thresholds normalized with clinical recovery.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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