Everyone has a list of books they swear they'll get to. Atomic Habits. Never Split the Difference. The 48 Laws of Power.

Shortform has covered over 15,000 books, so the one you're thinking of is probably there. Each guide gives you the key ideas, how they connect to other books, and what to do with them.

Swap 10 minutes of scrolling for one big idea a day.

Start learning!

Whenever I have blood drawn or get an injection, I look away and try to think of something else. Do you do that, too?

Science suggests this strategy can reduce pain.

But could your attention also change the body’s physical response?

A new study tested how attention modulates the body’s response to acute inflammation and showed how the mind can alter this response.

The researchers conducted three experiments. In these experiments, they induced acute skin inflammation using a histamine skin prick test. If you’ve ever been tested for allergies, you know the test.

The skin responds to this test with two reactions:

The peak of the response occurs 15-20 minutes after the test, so the researchers observed the wheal and flare responses at the test site over 20 minutes.

The main question behind this study was: How does directing attention to sensations at the test site or away from it influence the magnitude of the inflammatory response?

Each session began with the skin prick test.

In experiment 1, 37 participants maintained their gaze on a screen for 20 minutes. Each participant came in for two sessions: In one session, they focused on sensations at the site where the prick test had been applied (without looking at it); in the other session, they concentrated on videos on the screen.

The result: Directing attention to the test site reduced the inflammatory response (both wheal and flare). This pattern was observed in 90% of the participants, and the skin response was ~1.5 times stronger under distraction than when focusing on the test site. Differences began to emerge 3 minutes after the prick test and persisted until the end of the 20-minute period.

In experiment 2, which included 20 participants, the researchers created identical visual input for both attention conditions (it had been different in experiment 1) and made the tasks more comparable. Participants observed abstract shapes on the screen. In one session, they used each shape as a cue to draw attention to the test site on their skin; in the other, they used each shape as a cue to consider whether it could exist in the real world.

The results were comparable to those of experiment 1: drawing attention to the test site rather than away from it reduced the inflammatory response. These results make it less likely that differences in visual input or task demands between the two attention conditions in experiment 1 explain the findings.

Experiment 3 aimed to clarify the underlying mechanisms of the findings in experiments 1 and 2.

17 participants from the previous experiments returned for an additional session, during which the researchers applied the prick test again. Now, they also applied lidocaine at the test site, which is used for local anesthesia.

The question was: if participants cannot feel much at the test site due to local anesthesia, will attention to the test site still reduce acute inflammation? Since lidocaine reduces the flare response, researchers focused only on the wheal.

The result: Attention to the test site still reduced the acute inflammatory response compared to distraction, but the magnitude of the reduction was lower than without lidocaine. This suggests that the ability to feel sensations at the site of inflammation contributes to the effect, but that an additional mechanism may be involved.

The researchers also measured heart rate variability (HRV) in all experiments as an indicator of parasympathetic activity (the rest-and-digest division of your nervous system, which is also involved in anti-inflammatory regulation). HRV was higher during attention to the test site than during distraction in all experiments.

This suggests that attention to inflammation increased parasympathetic activity.

Together, the results boil down to two takeaways:

This fascinating study shows how the mind can influence physiological processes in the body. It’s a powerful example of the brain-body connection.

The results also suggest that distracting yourself from unpleasant sensations might not always be the best strategy for helping your body heal. However, the present study used a brief, localized inflammatory skin reaction, so we don’t yet know to what extent it applies to chronic conditions or other types of inflammation.

We’ll have to see how this research evolves, but for now, we have another powerful demonstration of how the mind influences physical processes in your body.

What else I’ve been up to:

The dramatic case of a young woman in Argentina whose chest pain was dismissed as “psychological” inspired me for my latest Medium article:

Not a Medium member? Read this story for free with my friend link.

Advertisement

100 body-first tools that calm you down at your desk, before big meetings and at night. Each one takes under 2 minutes. Plus a weekly practical guide from Fenice Health, founded by a Forbes 30 Under 30 founder. Get the free PDF.

That’s it for today!

And now?

Until next time!

Best wishes,

Patricia (Dr. Patricia Schmidt) from creatorschmidt.com

P.S.:

Disclaimer:
1) This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical or mental health advice and is not a substitute for professional healthcare. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition, medications, or supplements, and before making any changes to your health routine.
2) This newsletter may contain links to third-party offers and newsletters. The author is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or practices of these external sites but may receive compensation when you sign up for them, at no additional cost to you. This newsletter is free, and sponsorships, ads, and affiliate partnerships help me fund it. Thank you for supporting my writing.