title: Impact of sympathetic activation on pain threshold in human subjects.
abstract: This study examined the effect of the sympathetic activation with the head-up tilt test (HUT) on electrocutaneous pain in 56 young normotensive volunteers. Systolic arterial blood pressure (SAP), diastolic arterial blood pressure (DAP), heart rate (HR), sensory and pain thresholds to electrocutaneous stimulation were measured 30s before (in supine position), during (at 10s, 90s, 3min and 5min) and 10min after HUT (in supine position). No relationship was found between resting BP and pain perception. HUT significantly increased DAP and HR, but did not change SAP. During HUT, both sensory and pain electrocutaneous thresholds were significantly increased, indicating reduced nociception. While changes in HR and changes in sensory threshold were correlated, no other correlation could be found between hemodynamic changes (DAP or HR) and changes in sensory and pain threshold. These results suggest that the mechanisms underlying the sympathetic adaptation to HUT and HUT-induced analgesia are different.
authors.affiliation: Université Clermont Auvergne, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Service d'Odontologie, F-63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Devoize
authors.affiliation: Université Clermont Auvergne, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm CIC 1405, F-63003 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dualé
authors.affiliation: Université Clermont Auvergne, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm CIC 1405, F-63003 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dubray
authors.affiliation: Université Clermont Auvergne, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Service d'Odontologie, F-63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France. Electronic address: radhouane.dallel@uca.fr.
authors.forename: Radhouane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dallel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D059225:Nociception / Q000502:physiology*; D058748:Pain Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D018667:Tilt-Table Test; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Baroreflex; Head-up tilt test; Orthostatic hypotension; Pain threshold; Stress