Primary Supervisor: Dr Peter Micalos
Co-Supervisor:
Location: Port Macquarie
Keywords: physiology, neuroscience, pain, cognition
Type of Project: Quantitative
Project availability:
Introduction A bi-directional relationship exists between cognition and pain. The cold pressor test is a procedure that elicits pain while the hand is submerged in a cold-water bath. Modifications of the cold-pressor test can be applied in experimental pain research to investigate the effects on cognition.
Aim The hypothesis is that the application of a cognitive task (basic mathematics test) will affect the pain responses during the cold-pressure test. A secondary hypothesis is that the experimental pain will inhibit cognitive processing during the cold-pressor test.
https://nuighealthpsychology.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cold-pressor.png
Research design This Honours research will be required to be conducted at the Port Macquarie campus. The study involves recruitment, assessment, and testing of healthy participants during the performance of a cognitive task while undergoing a cold pressure test procedure. Human research ethics application and approval will be necessary for this study. Variations to this research include the application of virtual reality and the effects of listening to music while undergoing the cold-pressor test.
Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting Dr Peter Micalos