
Samhita M. 2025 | BASIS Independent Fremont
- Project Title: An Analysis of Variations in Pain Perception in Dominant vs Non dominant Side of the Body.
- BASIS Independent Advisor: Dr. Araci
Understanding the perception of pain is a widely debated and highly researched topic, and through different medical procedures, it is important for people and even researchers and doctors to know which side of their or patients’ body experiences more pain. Emerging research suggests that pain perception varies between the left and right sides of the body, driven by complex neuropsychological mechanisms. Traditionally, the left hemisphere has been associated with logic, language, and analytical thinking, while the right hemisphere is connected to creativity, imagination, and intuition. These differences have shown to also lead to pain perception received differently on different sides of the body. Pain perception starts with nociceptors, specialized receptors that detect harmful stimuli like extreme temperatures or physical damage. When activated, these receptors send signals through peripheral nerves to the spinal cord and then to the brain, where the pain is processed in regions responsible for sensory discrimination, emotional response, and autonomic reactions (Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Pain, et al). My goal is to identify the relationship between pain perception and lateralization, through laser hair removal. Through my observations and research on neuropsychological theories about lateral pain perception, the study explores connections between pain lateralization, brain function, and emotional factors. This study will use a survey-based approach, combining a structured quantitative and qualitative survey with a random sample of 50 patients in a hair removal clinic. Participants will report pain levels on both sides of the body and provide information about their dominance, and professional background. The results of this experiment can help inform medical practices by offering insights into the lateralization of pain and its psychological correlates, potentially aiding in improved, personalized pain management.