Psychophysiological responses to pain: further validation of the nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) as a measure of nociception using multilevel modeling.
Physiological reactions to noxious stimuli are often used to make inferences about pain, but few studies have thoroughly examined the intra- and interindividual relationships between them. In the present study (N=104), multilevel analyses was used to assess relations between physiological (nociceptive flexion reflex magnitude [NFR], blink reflex magnitude, skin conductance response [SCR], heart rate [HR]) and subjective reactions to electrocutaneous stimuli. All physiological reactions were significant predictors of ratings when entered alone, explaining 1% (SCR) to 29% (NFR) of the variance; but only NFR, blink, and HR were significant in a multivariate predictor model. Significant interindividual variability in slopes was found for blink and HR, but not NFR. A final trimmed model that included NFR, blink, and the blink random slope explained 35% of the variance in ratings.
Rhudy
Jamie L
JL
Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104, USA. jamie-rhudy@utulsa.edu
France
Christopher R
CR
Bartley
Emily J
EJ
McCabe
Klanci M
KM
Williams
Amy E
AE
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results