Number shock: Fear of maths actually triggers physical pain

Washington: Fear of maths can activate pain networks in the brain, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Chicago found that anxiety about maths can activate regions of the brain linked with the experience of physical pain and visceral threat detection.      The study led by Ian Lyons found that in individuals who experience high levels of anxiety when facing maths tasks, the anticipation of increases activity in regions of the brain associated with the physical sensation of pain. The higher the maths anxiety, the more such neural activity was increased.      "We provide the first neural evidence indicating the nature of the subjective experience of math-anxiety," researchers said.      Previous research has shown that other forms of psychological stress, such as social rejection or a traumatic break-up, can also elicit feelings of physical pain. But the new study examines the pain response associated with anticipating an anxietyprovoking event, rather than the pain associated with a stressful event itself.      The new research suggests that simply anticipating an unpleasant event may be associated with the activation of neural regions involved in processing physical pain. PTI SUM-THING HURTS