 |
Directories for:
Faculty
Staff
Graduate Students
|
Christopher R. France
Professor
of Psychology
Ph.D. (1991)
McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Research Area:
Health, Intervention
Design & Outcome Evaluation
Specializations:
Adult, Health
Contact Information:
- Office: 245 Porter Hall
- Phone: (740) 593-1079
- E-mail: france@ohio.edu
Laboratories:
-
Research Interests:
PAIN RESEARCH
Pain
and Risk for Hypertension
Factors
like family history of hypertension, high blood pressure, and increased
cardiovascular reactivity have been associated with decreased sensitivity
to pain. Our research on pain perception as a potential marker of hypertension
risk looks at:
- Mechanisms of decreased pain perception in individuals with hypertension
and/ or a family history of the disorder
- Hypoalgesia predicting longitudinal blood pressure changes in individuals
at high and low risk for hypertension
- The relationship between pain and emotion in the context of hypertension
risk
Pain-related
Fear
Pain-related
fear refers to constructs such as pain catastrophizing and kinesiophobia
(fear that physical activity will exacerbate pain or prompt reinjury)
and is linked with hypervigilance to pain, avoidance, and disability.
Pain-related fear has been linked to the development and maintenance of
chronic pain conditions. We work with healthy participants and individuals
with chronic pain to examine:
- The effect of pain-related fear on pain perception, behavior, and
psychosocial adjustment.
- The relationship between pain-related fear and patterns of movement.
Nociceptive
Flexion Reflex Assessment
The
nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) allows withdrawal from noxious stimuli.
NFR assessment is often used in experimental and clinical pain research
as an index of descending modulation by the central nervous system (i.e.,
the brain). Evidence for this comes from findings that NFR threshold
and amplitude are not always linearly associated with subjective pain
intensity.
BLOOD DONATION RESEARCH
Given
the growing demand for blood products, attracting and retaining blood
donors has become a national priority. The ultimate aim of our work
in this area is to enhance the donation experience in order to sustain
an adequate blood supply for individuals in need of blood products.
Accordingly, we focus on:
Recruitment
of Blood Donors
Development
of materials to educate prospective donors about the donation process
and to maximize the potential of a positive donation experience
Retention
of Blood Donors
- Coping strategies to attenuate donation reactions (e.g., nausea, dizziness,
lightheadedness)
- Psychosocial and physiological predictors of donor return behavior
(e.g., physical reactions, self-efficacy, satisfaction)
- Post-donation interventions to enhance donor return (e.g., motivational
interviewing)
Recent Publications:
See Laboratory
page.
Recent Grants:
|
Preventing
adverse reactions in novice blood donors. National Heart Lung and
Blood Institute (NIH R01 HL077438), $1,644,953 (PI). Nov. 2006. |
| |
|
Altered
motor coordination in recurrent low back pain. NIH - National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD045512), $1,544,109
(Co-Principal Investigator with James S. Thomas). Aug. 2004. |
| |
|
Psychophysiological
mechanisms of blood donation-related fainting and a treatment to
reduce fainting. Canadian Institutes for Health Research, $136,073.
Apr. 2002.. |
| |
|
Hypertension,
risk for hypertension, and hypoalgesia. National Heart Lung and
Blood Institute (R01 HL64794), $1,325,595 (Principal Investigator).
Apr. 2000. |
| |
|
Gender,
coping and the arthritis pain experience. National Institute of
Arthritis & Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R01-AR46305), $1,272,670
(Principal Investigator at Ohio University site, with Francis J.
Keefe as primary PI). Mar. 2000. |
| |
|
Reducing
vasovagal reactions to blood donation with applied muscle tension:
A controlled outcome study. Fonds de la Recherche en Santé
du Québec, $110,716 (Co-PI with Blaine Ditto and Pauline
Lavoie). Feb. 2000. |
| |
Courses Taught:
Undergraduate:
Psychology of
Health and Illness, Abnormal Psychology
Graduate:
Applied Psychophysiology,
Health Psychology, Interventions in Health Psychology, Individual Psychotherapy
Affiliations:
Graduate Students:
|