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Pain modulation induced by respiration: phase and frequency effects.
Marianne Arsenault1, Alexandra Ladouceur, Alexandre Lehmann
1Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3J7; Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada H3W 1W5.
Neuroscience
|August 3, 2013
Summary
Breathing during inspiration may reduce pain perception and related brain activity, but not spinal nerve signals. Slow breathing enhanced this effect, though overall impacts were small, suggesting other factors in relaxation-induced pain relief.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Voluntary control of respiration is key for managing pain and emotions.
- Breathing techniques are fundamental to relaxation and meditation practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how breathing frequency and phase influence pain perception.
- To examine the effects of breathing on spinal nociceptive activity (RIII-reflex).
- To analyze the impact of breathing on brain activity (scalp somatosensory-evoked potentials - SEPs).
Main Methods:
- 20 healthy volunteers received painful electric stimuli to the sural nerve.
- Stimuli were delivered during three cued-breathing conditions: slow (0.1 Hz) with slow inspiration, slow (0.1 Hz) with fast inspiration, and normal (0.2 Hz) breathing.
- Pain ratings, RIII-reflex, and SEPs were recorded.
Main Results:
- Pain perception was significantly lower during inspiration than expiration (p=0.02).
- The N100 component of SEPs showed a phase effect during slow breathing with fast inspiration (p=0.03).
- RIII-reflex amplitude was higher during inspiration (p=0.02) and decreased with slow breathing (0.1 Hz-SlowIns vs. 0.2 Hz, p=0.01).
Conclusions:
- Inspiration may reduce pain and related brain activity, but this is dissociated from spinal nociceptive processing.
- Slow breathing modulated spinal nociception and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA).
- The limited effects suggest respiration is only one component of analgesic effects in relaxation techniques.
Keywords:
EMGEOGHFLFNTSPCSRIII-reflexRSASEPsSTAIState-Trait Anxiety Inventoryanalgesiaautonomicbreathingelectroculographic activityelectromyographyhigh frequencylow frequencynociceptive flexion reflexnucleus of the solitary tractpainpain-catastrophizing scalerespiratory sinus arrhythmiasomatosensory-evoked-potentialsMore Related Videos
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