Introduction and scope: Language is one of the main tools with whom people describe their pain. The semantic value of words plays a fundamental role in the pain perception, intended as a complex process of modulation and processing in the brain. The priming effect is a cognitive process in which a certain stimulus can influence subsequent stimuli. It is therefore plausible that this effect plays a key role in the modulation and perception of pain. This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between the semantic aspects of language, the priming effect, and the perception of pain.
Methods and results: A narrative review of the literature was conducted. Sixteen studies were included and categorized in four groups based on the effect of the verbal suggestion on the experimental acute pain and chronic pain and on the effect of pain-related words in free pain and post-surgical subjects.
Conclusions: There may be a link between language and pain, both at the behavioral and neural level. The processing of semantic information associated with pain influences the pain perception.
Keywords: Acute pain; Chronic pain; Cognition; Language; Musculoskeletal pain; Pain; Pain perception; Priming effect; Semantics; Word processing.
© 2021. Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia.