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Heart Rate Variability and Pain: A Systematic Review
Giuseppe Forte1,2, Giovanna Troisi3, Mariella Pazzaglia1,2
1Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Brain Sciences
|February 25, 2022
Summary
Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects autonomic nervous system activity during pain. Higher parasympathetic activity, measured by HRV, is linked to better pain self-regulation and inhibition in experimental pain tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Autonomic Physiology
- Pain Research
Background:
- Heart rate variability (HRV) is an indicator of autonomic nervous system (ANS) function.
- ANS activity, encompassing sympathetic and parasympathetic responses, is implicated in pain perception and modulation.
- Understanding HRV's role in pain processing is crucial for pain research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize evidence on HRV in relation to experimental pain.
- To investigate the association between HRV and autonomic responses to nociceptive stimulation.
- To explore the link between HRV and subjective pain experiences.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of studies from PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus.
- Inclusion of studies on HRV and experimentally induced pain in healthy adults.
- Synthesis of data considering various pain induction methods (thermal, pressure, electrical) and subjective pain measures.
Main Results:
- Seventy-one studies confirmed significant ANS changes (sympathetic and parasympathetic) during painful stimulation, irrespective of induction method.
- Autonomic responses to pain are influenced by factors including sex, age, BMI, breathing, stimulation intensity, and affective state.
- Higher parasympathetic activity correlated with enhanced self-regulation and pain inhibition.
Conclusions:
- HRV is a valuable marker for assessing nociceptive responses in experimental pain.
- Further research in clinical populations is needed to elucidate interindividual variations in autonomic responses to pain.
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