Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026
09:16
Dynamic Quantitative Sensory Testing to Characterize Central Pain Processing
Published on: February 16, 2017
Associations between catastrophizing and endogenous pain-inhibitory processes: sex differences
Burel R Goodin1, Lynanne McGuire, Mark Allshouse
1Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland 21250, USA.
The Journal of Pain
|November 18, 2008
Summary
Pain catastrophizing disrupts pain inhibition, impacting pain intensity. This study found that diminished diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) partially explained the link between catastrophizing and pain, especially in women.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
- Psychology
Background:
- Pain catastrophizing is a strong predictor of pain outcomes.
- Disruptions in endogenous pain inhibition may explain heightened pain in those with high catastrophizing.
- Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) measure endogenous pain inhibition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if DNIC mediates the relationship between pain catastrophizing and pain.
- To examine if sex moderates the association between catastrophizing, DNIC, and pain.
Main Methods:
- 35 healthy young adults participated.
- DNIC was assessed using pressure pain thresholds during a cold pressor task.
- Bias-corrected bootstrapped confidence intervals were used for mediation analysis.
Main Results:
- Diminished DNIC partially mediated the link between higher pain catastrophizing and increased pain ratings.
- Sex moderated the associations: higher catastrophizing predicted lower DNIC in both men and women.
- The mediating effect of DNIC on pain was significant only for women.
Conclusions:
- Heightened pain in individuals with high pain catastrophizing may stem from disrupted endogenous pain modulation (DNIC).
- Further research is needed to determine if interventions reducing pain catastrophizing impact pain outcomes through DNIC.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Analgesia and Pain Management
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
01:24Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance
Primary motives such as sleep, sex, and pain avoidance are crucial drivers of behavior in humans and animals. These motives ensure survival, reproductive success, and overall well-being by prompting actions that meet essential bodily needs.
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...
01:44Nociception
Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain. Thus, pain helps the...
01:27Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and sudden minutes-long episodes of intense fear, known as panic attacks. These attacks may feel like heart attacks and often happen without warning or a specific cause. They can include symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a sense of helplessness. During a panic attack, individuals may feel as though they are experiencing a heart attack or are in a...
01:20Pain
Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...