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Science 7 June 1974:
Vol. 184. no. 4141, pp. 1096 - 1098
DOI: 10.1126/science.184.4141.1096
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Articles

Acupunctural Analgesia? Evaluation by Signal Detection Theory

W. Crawford Clark 1 and J. C. Yang 2

1 Department of Research Psychology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York 10032
2 Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York 10032

Pain responses to noxious thermal stimulation decreased in the acupunctured arm of subjects as compared to the arm not treated with acupuncture; this result suggested that effective analgesia had been induced. However, sensory decision theory analysis of the data revealed no difference in discriminability. This failure to find a sensory (physiological) change strongly suggests that analgesia had not been induced. The sole effect of acupuncture was to cause the subjects to raise their pain criterion in response to the expectation that acture works.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Increased colonic pain sensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome is the result of an increased tendency to report pain rather than increased neurosensory sensitivity.
S. D Dorn, O. S Palsson, S. I M Thiwan, M. Kanazawa, W C. Clark, M. A L van Tilburg, D. A Drossman, Y. Scarlett, R. L Levy, Y. Ringel, et al. (2007)
Gut 56, 1202-1209
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A Signal Detection Theory Analysis of the Placebo Effect.
L. G. Allan and S. Siegel (2002)
Eval Health Prof 25, 410-420
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Acupuncture Analgesia and Anesthesia.
T. M. Murphy and J. J. Bonica (1977)
Arch Surg 112, 896-902
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Acupuncture for Chronic Shoulder Pain: An Experimental Study with Attention to the Role of Placebo and Hypnotic Susceptibility.
M. E. MOORE and S. N. BERK (1976)
Ann Intern Med 84, 381-384
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)