Modulation of trigeminal laser evoked potentials and laser silent periods by homotopical experimental pain

Cutaneous laser stimulation activates predominantly the A-delta and C mechano-heat nociceptors. Applied to the perioral region, low intensity CO(2)-laser pulses evoke reproducible trigeminal cortical evoked potentials (LEPs). High intensity CO(2)-laser stimuli induce a reflex response in the contracted jaw-closing muscle, the so-called laser silent period (LSP). Both LEPs and LSP provide a useful tool to study the physiology of the trigeminal nociceptive system. In ten healthy subjects we recorded the subjective ratings of the perioral laser stimulation and the trigeminal LEPs and LSP before, during and after homotopic experimental tonic muscle (infusion of hypertonic saline into the masseter muscle) and tonic skin pain (topical application of capsaicin to the cheek). LEPs were recorded from the vertex at two stimulus intensities: low (1.1 x pain threshold, PTh) and high (1.5 x PTh). LSP from masseter and temporalis muscles were recorded bilaterally through surface electromyographic (EMG) electrodes. CO(2)-laser pulses were applied to the perioral region (V2/V3) on the painful and non-painful side. The amplitude of LEPs increased with higher stimulus intensities (P<0.0001), but were suppressed by 42.3+/-5.3% during experimental muscle pain (P<0.0001) and by 41.6+/-3.2% during skin pain (P<0.0001). No pain-related effects were observed for the N and P latency of the LEPs (P> 0.20). The LSP in the masseter and temporalis muscles had similar onset-latency (80+/-5 ms), offset-latency (111+/-5 ms) and duration (31+/-4 ms). Experimental pain had no effect on the onset- and offset-latency (P>0.05). Experimental pain, whether from muscle or from skin, reduced the degree of suppression (P<0.01) and the area under the EMG curve (P< 0.005) of the LSP. The LSP was still suppressed during the post-pain recordings when the skin pain had disappeared (P<0.05). In all experiments experimental tonic pain decreased the subjective ratings of the perioral laser stimulation (P< 0.001). Experimental tonic pain, either from muscle or from skin, induced bilateral inhibitory effects on the trigeminal laser evoked potentials and brainstem reflex responses and on the subjective ratings of the laser pulses. These effects could be mediated through the activation of segmental and suprasegmental inhibitory systems that may function interdependently.