title: Pain catastrophizing is related to temporal summation of pain but not temporal summation of the nociceptive flexion reflex.
abstract: Pain catastrophizing is associated with enhanced temporal summation of pain (TS-Pain). However, because prior studies have found that pain catastrophizing is not associated with a measure of spinal nociception (nociceptive flexion reflex [NFR] threshold), this association may not result from changes in spinal nociceptive processes. The goal of the present study in healthy participants was to examine the relationship between trait (traditional) and state (situation-specific) pain catastrophizing and temporal summation of NFR (TS-NFR) and TS-Pain. A secondary goal was to replicate prior findings concerning relationships between catastrophizing and NFR threshold, electrocutaneous pain threshold, and sensory and affective ratings of electrocutaneous stimuli. All analyses controlled for depression symptoms, pain-related anxiety, and participant sex. As expected, multiple regression analyses indicated that neither trait nor situation-specific catastrophizing was associated with NFR threshold, but that situation-specific catastrophizing was associated with pain ratings. Multilevel linear growth models of TS data indicated that situation-specific catastrophizing was associated with TS-Pain but not TS-NFR. Trait catastrophizing was not related to TS-Pain or TS-NFR. Together, these results confirm prior studies that indicate that catastrophizing enhances pain via supraspinal processes rather than spinal processes. Moreover, because catastrophizing was associated with TS-Pain but not TS-NFR, caution is warranted when using pain ratings to infer temporal summation of spinal nociceptive processes.
authors.affiliation: University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Jamie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rhudy
authors.forename: Satin L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Ellen L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: France
authors.forename: Emily J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bartley
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: DelVentura
authors.forename: Kara L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kerr
mesh_terms: D001703:Biophysics; D058443:Catastrophization / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult