title: Styles of pain coping predict cardiovascular function following a cold pressor test.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While many studies have examined the impact of pain-related coping in adjustment to chronic pain, relatively few have evaluated the physiological consequences of differences in pain-coping styles.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The association between strategies for coping with pain and cardiovascular functioning following exposure to painfully cold water was evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Impedance cardiography was used to assess cardiovascular functioning in 50 healthy subjects before and after a cold pressor test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The self-reported use of active pain-coping strategies was associated with reductions in mean arterial pressure and cardiac contractility from pre- to post-cold pressor. In contrast, higher levels of pain catastrophizing were related to increases in cardiac contractility following acute cold pain. Importantly, coping variables predicted cardiovascular responses, whereas characteristics of the noxious stimulus (pain tolerance time and pain ratings) did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings highlight the importance of coping styles in shaping physiological responses to pain and suggest that interventions targeting increases in adaptive coping and decreases in pain catastrophizing may reduce pain's adverse impact.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Meyer 1-101, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Redwar10@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Roger B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Fillingim
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002307:Cardiography, Impedance; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*