What does “moderate pain” mean? Subgroups holding different conceptions of rating scales evaluate experimental pain differently

Background Pain ratings are almost ubiquitous in pain assessment, but their variability is high. Low correlations of continuous/numerical rating scales with categorical scales suggest that individuals associate different sensations with the same number on a scale, jeopardizing the interpretation of statistical results. We analysed individual conceptions of rating scales and whether these conceptions can be utilized in the analysis of ratings of experimental stimuli in pain‐free healthy individuals and people with reoccurring/persistent pain. Methods Using a free positioning task, healthy participants (N = 57) and people with reoccurring/persistent pain (N = 57) ad libitum positioned pain descriptors on lines representing intensity and un‐/pleasantness scales. Furthermore, participants rated experimental thermal stimuli on visual analogue scales with the same end anchors. A latent class regression approach was used to detect subgroups with different response patterns in the free positioning task, indicating different conceptions of pain labels, and tested whether these subgroups differed in their ratings of experimental stimuli. Results Subgroups representing different conceptions of pain labels could be described for the intensity and the un‐/pleasantness scale with in part opposing response patterns in the free positioning task. Response patterns did not differ between people with and without pain, but in people with pain subgroups showed differential ratings of high intensity experimental stimuli. Conclusions Individuals\u27 conceptions of pain labels differ. These conceptions can be quantified and utilized to improve the analysis of ratings of experimental stimuli. Identifying subgroups with different conceptions of pain descriptions could be used to improve predictions of responses to pain in clinical contexts. Significance The present results provide a novel approach to incorporate individual conceptualizations of pain descriptors, which can induce large distortions in the analysis of pain ratings, in pain assessment. The approach can be used to achieve better pain estimates, representing individual conceptions of pain and achieving a better comparability between individuals but also between pain‐free persons and patients with chronic pain. Particularly, in clinical settings this could improve quantification of perceived pain and the patient‐clinician communication

Perception of repeated pain relief with controllable and uncontrollable pain

Background The ultimate goal of pain research is to provide effective routes for pain relief. Nevertheless, the perception pain relief as a change in pain intensity and un‐/pleasantness has only been rarely investigated. It has been demonstrated that pain relief has rewarding and reinforcing properties, but it remains unknown whether the perception of pain relief changes when pain reductions occur repeatedly. Further, it remains an open question whether the perception of pain relief depends on the controllability of the preceding pain. Methods In this study, healthy volunteers (N = 38) received five cycles of painful heat stimulation and reduction of this stimulation to a non‐painful warm stimulation once in a condition with control of the stimulation and once without control. Participants rated perceived intensity and un‐/pleasantness on visual analogue scales during the heat stimulation and immediately after its reduction. Results Results showed that perceived pain relief, estimated by the difference in ratings during ongoing heat stimulation and after its reduction, increased with repetitions. However, this increase levelled off after two to four repetitions. Further, perceived pain relief was larger in the condition without control compared to the condition with control. Conclusion The perception of pain relief can be modulated similar to the perception of pain by stimulus characteristics and psychological factors. Mechanistic knowledge about such modulating factors is important, because they can determine, e.g., the amount of requested pain killers in clinical settings and the efficacy of pain relief as a reinforcing stimulus. Significance When in pain, pain relief can become an all‐dominate goal. The perception of such pain relief can vary depending on external and internal characteristics and thus modulate, e.g., requests for pain killers in clinical settings. Here, we show that perceived intensity and pleasantness of pain relief changes with repetitions and whether the preceding pain is perceived as uncontrollable. Such mechanistic knowledge needs to be considered to maximize the effects of pain relief as a rewarding and reinforcing stimulus

Evaluating assumptions of scales for subjective assessment of thermal environments – Do laypersons perceive them the way, we researchers believe?

International audienc

A Field Study of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction though Intelligent Room Heat Management as low investment Measure tested on the District Hall of Lippe

The construction of climate-friendly new buildings is not enough to enable greenhouse gas neutrality by the second half of this century. To achieve it, the existing building stock needs to be renovated or retrofitted step by step. This study investigates the impact of a low-investment greenhouse gas emission reduction measure based on intelligent room heat management (IRHM) which is being tested to date on the main administrative building of district Lippe, built in 1979-80, in Germany. This system intends to reduce the energy consumption of further districts’ buildings that, due to the high costs, cannot be intensively renovated in the medium term. IRHM consist in the installation of an intelligent controller that, based on dynamic usage profiles, optimise the operation of the existing heating system. Through presence sensors in the office rooms, the employee’s worktime routine is continually registered to enable the creation of heating patterns that maximize heat comfort during worktime while energy is saved by reducing room temperature when the office is unoccupied. The analysis is based on collected data of heat energy consumption, room climate and user behaviour in five corridors: three with IRHM and two control corridors without it. In both control corridors and two of the IRHM corridors the façade was completely refurbished in 2021 while the remaining one still preserves the original façade to date. Heating demand calculations were conducted to enable a wider exploration of usage scenarios. The results obtained so far, show significantly lower heat consumption in the corridors with IRHM, reaching a maximum of 90% energy consumption reduction compared to the control corridors. An optimized operation of the radiators is clearly recognizable as the system anticipates the employee’s presence and reach the comfort room temperature (set-up temperature) before the beginning of the working time, keeping it while the room in use. It also reacts properly switching down to set-back temperature so far, no presence is detected. According to the heating demand calculations, the implementation of a set-back temperature out of worktime can reduce the energy consumption up to a 48%. Combined with the refurbishment of the façade, the heating demand sinks up to an 87%. Field data shows an even more optimistic perspective, as energy consumption was in average even lower than the calculated demand. The on-site implementation of the IRHM is accompanied by social science research aiming at getting feedback on thermal comfort as well as on employees’ experience with the handling of the intelligent room heat management device. Up to now three online surveys were conducted during heat periods between 2021 and 2023 with 18 to 21 participants from two-person offices. First analyses show that occupants’ satisfaction with temperature changed from a neutral ranking to a slightly positive voting. Room temperature was found to be comfortable as soon as entering the office in the morning. Preferred room temperature shifted over the survey time points from 21°C- 22°C to under 21°C. Further analyses will focus on general energy-relevant attitudes and habits such as windows-door opening

Subgroups holding different conceptions of scales rate room temperatures differently

Fuchs X, Becker S, Schakib-Ekbatan K, Schweiker M. Subgroups holding different conceptions of scales rate room temperatures differently. Building and Environment. 2018;128:236-247

A seasonal approach to alliesthesia. Is there a conflict with thermal adaptation?

Schweiker M, Schakib-Ekbatan K, Fuchs X, Becker S. A seasonal approach to alliesthesia. Is there a conflict with thermal adaptation? ENERGY AND BUILDINGS. 2020;212: UNSP 109745.Literature on thermal comfort presents two concepts beyond a static view of perception: adaptation and alliesthesia. Both concepts are typically analyzed separately and consequences for optimal conditions when following one or the other concept are not compared. Predictions concerning preferred conditions in different seasons derived from these concepts are antithetic - while adaptation suggests warmer conditions in summer being closer to neutrality - often equated with comfort - alliesthesia suggests cooler conditions in summer leading to a higher level of pleasantness - also set synonymous with comfort. The objectives of this study were to compare both concepts and the resulting views on optimal thermal conditions experimentally. The experimental study consisted of a between-subject design with two groups of participants experiencing the same three thermal conditions (classified as cool, neutral, warm) each for 50 min in a balanced order in a field laboratory with windows to the outdoors in winter (N = 32) or in summer (N = 31). Participants evaluated their thermal perception on three dimensions: thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and thermal pleasantness at the end of each session. Indoor environmental parameters and subjects' skin temperature were recorded. Statistical analyses with participants' ratings as the dependent, and standard effective temperature, season and sex as independent variables showed that optimal thermal conditions varied significantly between seasons, sex, the dimension of thermal perception, and the applied statistical method. Based on the results, a new type of alliesthesia is proposed to explain such effects: seasonal alliesthesia. Adaptation and alliesthesia focus on different dimensions of thermal perception and lead to distinctive results concerning optimal thermal conditions. Future work in the area of thermal comfort needs to discuss, which dimension is appropriately considered in which context and the consequences drawn for design and operation of buildings. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

What does "moderate pain" mean? Subgroups holding different conceptions of rating scales evaluate experimental pain differently

Becker S, Fuchs X, Schakib-Ekbatan K, Schweiker M. What does "moderate pain" mean? Subgroups holding different conceptions of rating scales evaluate experimental pain differently. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAIN. 2019;24(3):625-638.Background Pain ratings are almost ubiquitous in pain assessment, but their variability is high. Low correlations of continuous/numerical rating scales with categorical scales suggest that individuals associate different sensations with the same number on a scale, jeopardizing the interpretation of statistical results. We analysed individual conceptions of rating scales and whether these conceptions can be utilized in the analysis of ratings of experimental stimuli in pain-free healthy individuals and people with reoccurring/persistent pain. Methods Using a free positioning task, healthy participants (N = 57) and people with reoccurring/persistent pain (N = 57) ad libitum positioned pain descriptors on lines representing intensity and un-/pleasantness scales. Furthermore, participants rated experimental thermal stimuli on visual analogue scales with the same end anchors. A latent class regression approach was used to detect subgroups with different response patterns in the free positioning task, indicating different conceptions of pain labels, and tested whether these subgroups differed in their ratings of experimental stimuli. Results Subgroups representing different conceptions of pain labels could be described for the intensity and the un-/pleasantness scale with in part opposing response patterns in the free positioning task. Response patterns did not differ between people with and without pain, but in people with pain subgroups showed differential ratings of high intensity experimental stimuli. Conclusions Individuals' conceptions of pain labels differ. These conceptions can be quantified and utilized to improve the analysis of ratings of experimental stimuli. Identifying subgroups with different conceptions of pain descriptions could be used to improve predictions of responses to pain in clinical contexts. Significance The present results provide a novel approach to incorporate individual conceptualizations of pain descriptors, which can induce large distortions in the analysis of pain ratings, in pain assessment. The approach can be used to achieve better pain estimates, representing individual conceptions of pain and achieving a better comparability between individuals but also between pain-free persons and patients with chronic pain. Particularly, in clinical settings this could improve quantification of perceived pain and the patient-clinician communication

LED macht Schule - Evaluierung der Umrüstung von Schulbeleuchtung auf LED im Rahmen der Leitmarktinitiative

Die vorliegende Studie hat die Umrüstung der Beleuchtung in 33 Schulen auf LED wissenschaftlich begleitet. Dabei standen sowohl sozial-wissenschaftliche als auch technische Aspekte im Vordergrund. Das wichtigste Ergebnis der sozialwissenschaftlichen Erhebung ist, dass die LED-Beleuchtung um fast eine Schulnote besser bewertet wurde als die Beleuchtung vor der Sanierung („gut“ vs. „befriedigend“). Die neue Beleuchtung wird akzeptiert, als positiv wahrgenommen und kann zu einer Verbesserung des Lernklimas beitragen. Die gute Akzeptanz der neuen Technologie könnte weiter erhöht werden, wenn das Thema „LED“ im Rahmen der Sanierungsmaßnahmen im Unterricht aufgegriffen würde. Die messtechnischen Untersuchungen können eine zufriedenstellende Beleuchtungsstärke, Farbtemperatur und Farbwiedergabe der Beleuchtung bei reduziertem Energieverbrauch nachweisen. Die neuen Beleuchtungsinstallationen genügen dabei den aktuell gültigen Normen. Die Studie zeigt auch, dass die LED-Beleuchtung teilweise als zu hell wahrgenommen wird und legt nahe, dass die Beleuchtungsnormen beim Einsatz von LED ggf. überdacht werden müssen. Die gleichmäßige Ausleuchtung der Klassenräume lässt in einigen Fällen zu wünschen übrig, was den Stellenwert einer sorgfältigen Lichtplanung beim Einsatz der LED-Technologie aufzeigt