Overview

• The rubber hand illusion reduces pain perception by tricking the brain into perceiving a rubber hand as part of the body.
• Pain reduction begins quickly, approximately 1.5 seconds after heat stimulation starts, and persists throughout the stimulation period.
• Researchers used heat and red light to simultaneously induce the illusion and measure pain levels in 34 right-handed participants.
• The study suggests potential applications for treating chronic pain conditions, such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
• Published in the journal PAIN Reports, the findings highlight the role of multisensory integration in modulating pain perception.