Trait anger and blood pressure recovery following acute pain: evidence for opioid-mediated effects.
Previous work has suggested that positive associations between trait anger (TRANG) and pain sensitivity are due to dysfunctional endogenous opioid analgesic systems. In this study, we examined whether TRANG is associated with impaired opioid modulation of blood pressure (BP) recovery. A total of 46 pain-free normotensive controls and 69 normotensive chronic low back pain (LBP) sufferers received opioid blockade (8 mg naloxone i.v.) or placebo in randomized, counterbalanced order in separate sessions. During each, participants underwent a 1-min finger pressure pain task followed by an ischemic forearm pain task. Opioid blockade impaired post-pain BP recovery in controls but not LBP participants (ps < .001). In controls, low TRANG was associated with blockade-induced recovery impairments, with no blockade effect in high TRANG participants. In LBP participants, blockade did not alter recovery regardless of TRANG (interaction ps < .05). Results support dysfunctional opioid modulation of BP recovery in healthy high TRANG controls and further suggest chronic pain-related impairments in opioid-mediated cardiovascular recovery.
Bruehl
Stephen
S
Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA. Stephen.Bruehl@vanderbilt.edu
Chung
Ok Yung
OY
Burns
John W
JW
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009270:Naloxone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D020127:Recovery of Function
D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D009270:Naloxone