Exploring the relationship between meaningful conditioned pain modulation and stress system reactivity in healthy adults following exposure to the cold pressor task

• Published in: Musculoskeletal science & practice 2022-02, Vol.57, p.102489-102489, Article 102489
• Main Authors: Lukacs, Michael J., Melling, C.W James, Walton, David M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Female; Galvanic skin response; Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Male; Meaningful conditioned pain modulation; Pain; Pain Measurement; Pain Threshold - physiology; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Pressure pain detection threshold; Salivary cortisol
• ISSN: 2468-7812; 2468-7812
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msksp.2021.102489

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis have been implicated in conditioned pain modulation (CPM). As there has recently been a push to identify meaningful CPM responses based on ± 2 SEM of the test stimulus, we sought to evaluate if meaningful CPM had relationships with both SNS and HPA axis reactivity. 50 university-aged healthy participants (25 males, 25 females) underwent evaluation of pressure pain detection threshold (PPDT), conditioned pain modulation (CPM), galvanic skin response (GSR) and salivary cortisol before and after a cold pressor test (CPT). Meaningful CPM was evaluated based on change ±2 SEM of baseline PPDT to classify participants as experiencing inhibition of pain, facilitation, or non-response. As a group, there were no significant changes in PPDT or salivary cortisol after exposure to noxious cold. GSR was significantly elevated from baseline values during the CPT, and 10 min after (p