Amplification (psychology)

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Amplification is to amplify physical symptoms based on psychological factors such as anxiety or depression: "somatosensory amplification refers to the tendency to experience somatic sensation as intense, noxious, and disturbing. What may be a minor 'twinge' or mild 'sorenes' to the stoic, is a severe, consuming pain to the amplifier."^[1]

Psychological state has been documented to effect the course of upper respiratory tract infection,^[2][3] post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome,^[4] and musculoskeletal pain.^[5]

Amplification is not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association.

The Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SAS) has been validated to measure amplification.^[1] The scale contains four items measured with a 5 item Likert scale:

1. Sudden loud noises really disturb me
2. I'm very uncomfortable when I'm in a place that is too hot or too cold
3. I can't stand pain as well as most people can
4. I find I'm often aware of various things happening in my body
5. I'm quick to sense the hunger contractions in my stomach

Amplification is related to alexithymia. Amplification may also contribute to multiple-drug intolerance (if the adverse effects that are reported are non-specific).^[6]

Type A personality and depression may be risk factors for amplification:

• Type A personality trait may be associated with delayed recovery after organic illness.^[7][8]
• People with premorbid abnormal scores on the Depression and Morale-Loss subscales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Index (MMPI) have delayed recovery of future respiratory tract infections.^[2]

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