By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

A cuddly therapeutic robot – designed to look and act like a baby seal – can improve mood and reduce moderate to severe pain in people, according to a new study.

The PARO robot emits seal-like sounds and moves its head and flippers in response to being touched and spoken to. Since its introduction in Japan in 2005, the PARO has become a virtual pet for thousands of people around the world who live in places where real animals are not allowed, such as nursing homes, elder care centers and hospitals.

Since social contact between humans can alleviate pain, researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University (BGU) designed a study to see if the PARO robot could have similar effects in 83 healthy young volunteers.

It’s important to note that anyone with acute or chronic pain was disqualified from participating in the study. Pain was induced in the volunteers by exposing them to a heat probe.

Those who were allowed to touch and pet the PARO rated their pain levels significantly lower than those who had no physical contact with the robot. They also reported significantly higher levels of happiness.

“Another possible explanation of our finding is that the interaction with PARO distracted the participants away from pain. Changing the focus of attention away from painful stimuli was shown to be efficacious in altering pain perception,” wrote lead author Shelly Levy-Tzedek, PhD, who heads the Cognition, Aging & Rehabilitation Laboratory at the Ben Gurion University.

"These findings offer new strategies for pain management and for improving well-being, which are particularly needed at this time, when social distancing is a crucial factor in public health."

To their surprise, BGU researchers also found lower oxytocin levels in those who interacted with PARO compared to those in a control group who did not meet the robot. Oxytocin is known as the “love hormone" because it is elevated in romantic partners or mothers bonding with their children -- so a lower level of oxytocin wasn't expected.

Researchers speculated in the journal Scientific Reports that oxytocin could also be a stress marker and that lower levels of the hormone may facilitate trust and sociability.

“In summary, this study indicates that social touch with PARO robot alleviates pain, increases happiness state and decreases oxytocin levels. Participants with higher perceived ability to communicate with PARO display greater pain alleviation as well as lower oxytocin levels,” researchers said.

A 2017 study also found that touching can have an analgesic effect. Young healthy couples who held hands while being subjected to mild heat felt less pain than those who were not touching or sitting in separate rooms.