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The following is a summary of “Individual differences in response to repeated painful stimulation: habituation, sensitization, and nocebo effects,” published in the March 2025 issue of Journal of Pain by Miesen et al. 

The study explored individual differences in habituation, sensitization, and nocebo effects during repeated painful stimulation.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the effects of repeated painful stimulation on pain intensity, unpleasantness ratings, individual response trajectories, and the impact of a nocebo manipulation on habituation and sensitization subgroups.  

They enrolled 60 participants (26 male, 34 female, age 18–60) who underwent repeated painful electrical stimulation across 4 runs. After the third run, half of the participants received a negative verbal expectation (i.e., nocebo manipulation).  

The results showed that participants provided intensity and unpleasantness ratings after each stimulus, revealing substantial individual variability. On a group level, sensitization to pain was observed initially but decreased across runs. Individual response patterns varied, with most showing sensitization at first, transitioning to habituation. A strong correlation was found between habituation of pain intensity and unpleasantness. The nocebo manipulation led to a significant nocebo effect, resulting in a marked increase in pain and unpleasantness ratings.  

Investigators concluded that significant individual variability and nocebo effects influenced diverse response profiles. 

Source: https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)00604-2/fulltext