title: Nicotine withdrawal and stress-induced changes in pain sensitivity: a cross-sectional investigation between abstinent smokers and nonsmokers.
abstract: Chronic smoking has been linked with alterations in endogenous pain regulation. These alterations may be pronounced when individuals quit smoking because nicotine withdrawal produces a variety of psychological and physiological symptoms. Smokers interested in quitting (n = 98) and nonsmokers (n = 37) completed a laboratory session including cold pressor test (CPT) and heat thermal pain. Smokers set a quit date and completed the session after 48 h of abstinence. Participants completed the pain assessments once after rest and once after stress. Cardiovascular and nicotine withdrawal measures were collected. Smokers showed blunted cardiovascular responses to stress relative to nonsmokers. Only nonsmokers had greater pain tolerance to CPT after stress than after rest. Lower systolic blood pressure was related to lower pain tolerance. These findings suggest that smoking withdrawal is associated with blunted stress response and increased pain sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Duluth Medical Research Institute, Department of Biobehavioral Health and Population Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Motohiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al'Absi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Cardiovascular; Nicotine dependence; Pain; Smoking; Stress-induced analgesia