AFTER our letter appeared in the Daily Echo last October, we had a great response to take part in our research project which aims to investigate why some people develop distressing stress reactions and recurrent physical pain after a car accident, whereas others do not. Results should help to develop more successful treatments for both the pain and psychological complaints.

We would like to thank everyone who expressed an interest in our study and to share some details about our initial findings. Participants carried out simple computer tasks while we measured their brain responses. We discovered that people who experienced long-term pain as a result of their accident had a stronger brain response during some tasks, providing an insight into how the brain could affect how we feel pain. We are continuing the study to understand how pain and emotional states like distress and anxiety, which people may experience after a severe motor vehicle accident, could influence each other.

Anyone interested in taking part can contact us by phone (023 8059 9395) or e-mail (mvastudy@soton.ac.uk).

DR ANKE KARL, School of Psychology, Southampton University.