Race Effects on Conditioned Pain Modulation in Youth

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pain Research
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Race and ethnicity significantly influence adult pain perception and responsiveness.
• African Americans often report higher pain intensity compared to non-Hispanic whites.
• Racial differences in conditioned pain modulation (CPM) in youth are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate racial differences in conditioned pain modulation (CPM) to evoked thermal pain in healthy youth.
• To determine if CPM differences in adolescents contribute to observed racial disparities in pain sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Assessed CPM in 78 healthy youth (ages 10-17), comprising 51% African American and 49% non-Hispanic white participants.
• Utilized evoked thermal pain as a test stimulus and a conditioning stimulus.
• Employed multilevel models to analyze pain ratings during conditioning and test phases.

Main Results:

• African American youth reported lower mean conditioning pain ratings than non-Hispanic white youth, indicating stronger CPM.
• Multilevel models confirmed significantly stronger CPM effects in African American youth compared to non-Hispanic white youth.
• Faster within-person decreases in pain ratings during conditioning were observed in African American youth.

Conclusions:

• Diminished CPM does not account for heightened evoked pain responsiveness in African American youth.
• Racial differences in CPM exist in youth and may influence adult chronic pain experiences.
• Findings may inform personalized pain treatment strategies considering race and ethnicity.