Scientists at Stanford University have developed a genetic test to identify people who experience severe pain after surgery and who may benefit from hypnosis. Research published Journal of Molecular Diagnosis.
Hypnosis is an effective pain reliever for many people, but determining which patients will benefit most can be difficult. Previous research has revealed that susceptibility to hypnosis is a stable mental trait with a genetic basis. It has been associated with certain mutations in the gene responsible for the production of the enzyme catechol-o-methyltransferase, which is mainly responsible for dopamine metabolism in the brain.
The scientists tested the association between these mutations and susceptibility to hypnosis in patients undergoing knee replacement surgery. 89.5% of carriers of these mutations were indeed susceptible to hypnosis. At the same time, the association between mutations and susceptibility was higher in females because of the interaction of catechol-o-methyltransferase with estrogen.
Researchers have also developed an inexpensive and rapid method to identify mutations that can be introduced at the point-of-care using saliva or blood samples.