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09:16
Dynamic Quantitative Sensory Testing to Characterize Central Pain Processing
Published on: February 16, 2017
Does pain catastrophizing moderate the relationship between spinal nociceptive processes and pain sensitivity?
Jamie L Rhudy1, Christopher R France, Emily J Bartley
1Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104, USA. jamie-rhudy@utulsa.edu
The Journal of Pain
|July 30, 2009
Summary
Pain catastrophizing influences how people report pain, but not spinal reflex responses. This suggests pain modulation occurs at higher brain levels, not through descending pain controls.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Pain Research
Background:
- Pain catastrophizing correlates with heightened pain perception and reduced pain tolerance.
- Previous research suggests pain catastrophizing does not significantly impact nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) thresholds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between pain catastrophizing and spinal nociceptive processing.
- To determine if pain catastrophizing influences pain sensitivity via supraspinal mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Assessed NFR threshold, electrocutaneous pain threshold, and pain tolerance in 105 healthy adults.
- Measured pain catastrophizing using traditional and situation-specific instructions.
Main Results:
- NFR threshold correlated with pain sensitivity but not with catastrophizing measures.
- Situation-specific catastrophizing showed some correlation with pain outcomes.
- Neither catastrophizing measure moderated the NFR-pain sensitivity relationship.
Conclusions:
- Pain catastrophizing influences pain reports via supraspinal pathways (e.g., attention, memory), not by altering spinal nociceptive transmission.
- Situation-specific catastrophizing offers insights but does not engage descending controls to affect spinal nociceptive processes.
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