Masseter inhibitory periods and sensations evoked by electrical tooth-pulp stimulation in subjects under hypnotic anesthesia

Sensation and masseter inhibitory periods (MIP) to electrical tooth-pulp stimulation were recorded under hypnotic anesthesia and placebo to local anesthesia. In the first experiment, 8 subjects were tested for the effect of hypnotic anesthesia on sensory detection and MIP at non-painful stimulus levels ( x = 42.1 μA) and painful levels ( x = 86.5 μA). The percentage of detection for non-painful stimuli changed from 94.3% to 14.1% and for painful stimuli from 100% to 28%; both changes were significant ( P < 0.001). Hypnotic anesthesia blocked sensation without interrupting the initiation of the early component of the MIP, but did suppress its late component. In the second experiment, 8 subjects were tested for the perceived intensity of 5 levels of electrical tooth-pulp stimulation under hypnotic anesthesia and placebo. Sensory intensity was measured by the visual analog scale (VAS). Hypnotic anesthesia was significantly more effective than placebo ( P < 0.001) in reducing sensation. The differential effect of hypnotic anesthesia on the early and late component of the MIP lends further support to the hypothesis that hypnotic anesthesia operates primarily at suprasegmental, higher levels in the brain.