Acetaminophen may reduce fear, anxiety
UBC study shows emotional, physical pain processed in same part of brain
The common over- the- counter pain medication acetaminophen does more than cure headaches — it may also be an effective antidote to fear, anxiety and existential dread, according to a new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia.
Physical pain and negative emotions such as social pain appear to share the same processing systems in the brain, according to PhD candidate Daniel Randles, lead author of the study published in the journal Psychological Science.
“Pain exists in many forms, including the distress that people feel when exposed to thoughts of existential uncertainty and death,” Randles said. “Past work has shown that ( acetaminophen) helps not only to alleviate headaches, but also social pain and frustration.”
Acetaminophen — unlike many anti-inflammatory-based pain relievers — crosses into the brain.
In the first stage of the study, participants were asked to write about their own death, while in the second stage, participants viewed a film created by director David Lynch, which previous research has confirmed will “disturb, offend or mystify” viewers, causing emotional uncertainty. The death awareness subjects were asked to set the amount of bail for a hypothetical prostitute, while the disturbing film group was asked to suggest the severity of the penalty for people convicted for participating in Vancouver’s Stanley Cup riot. Control subjects in the film group saw a clip from The Simpsons.
Subjects in both studies who were given acetaminophen, commonly known by the brand name Tylenol, meted out more lenient penalties, suggesting they felt less threatened than subjects in control groups. Acetaminophen appears to inhibit distress signals in the brain, the authors say.
While the study sheds some light on the architecture of the brain and how people process emotional distress, Randles does not recommend people use acetaminophen to medicate themselves for anxiety.
“This was not a clinical study, so it is not clear whether ( acetaminophen) would be a useful treatment,” said Randles.
“We just know that the same brain centres that handle pain ( also) handle social frustration, so it could end up being useful in that regard.”
Informal surveys of doctors reveal that some people have already stumbled onto the anxiety- reducing effects of acetaminophen on their own, Randles said.