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Altered electrodermal responsivity associated with clinical pain.
Karen H Naifeh1, Philip H Heller, Franklin Perry
1Langley Porter Institute, San Francisco, Calif. U.S.A. Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaiser - Permanente Medical Center, Hayward, Calif. U.S.A. Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery San Francisco, Calif. U.S.A. Sections of Rheumatology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, Calif. U.S.A.
Pain
|July 1, 1983
Summary
This study investigated the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and its connection to pain. Postoperative patients, experiencing both stress and pain, showed a reduced electrodermal response to ANS challenges, unlike preoperative patients or healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
- Pain Research
Background:
- The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a crucial role in physiological responses.
- Understanding the interplay between stress, pain, and ANS function is vital.
- Electrodermal response is a common measure of sympathetic nervous system activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and pain perception.
- To determine if autonomic nervous system function differs in individuals experiencing pain.
Main Methods:
- Physiologic maneuvers were employed to stimulate the autonomic nervous system.
- Electrodermal response was measured in three groups: normal controls, preoperative patients (stress only), and postoperative patients (stress and pain).
- Comparisons were made between groups in both unperturbed and perturbed states.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in electrodermal response were observed among groups in the unperturbed state.
- Autonomic maneuvers elicited a significantly attenuated electrodermal response in postoperative patients.
- Preoperative patients and normal controls did not show this attenuation.
Conclusions:
- Autonomic nervous system responses to perturbation are altered in the presence of pain.
- Pain, in conjunction with stress, significantly impacts autonomic reactivity.
- Findings suggest a potential link between pain and altered autonomic nervous system regulation.