An EEG investigation of the dissociated control model of hypnosis

This study investigated EEG magnitude coherence changes in healthy volunteers; 14 low in hypnotic susceptibility and 4 moderate. Hypnosis was induced using an audio-visual 'virtual reality' hypnosis tool. Coherence was calculated between Fz and F7, and Fz and F3 electrodes. This was thought to reflect synchronous activity between anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex. Significant changes were not seen from baseline to hypnosis conditions, however notwithstanding the small sample size, decreases in coherence that approached significance were seen in moderate hypnotisables during hypnosis but not in lows. These findings show a trend in line with previous research demonstrating that high hypnotisables experience frontal dissociation in hypnosis. Further research using a larger sample including high hypnotisable subjects is required to give support to the dissociated control model of hypnosis