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NO EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD MECHANICAL PRESSURE HYPERALGESIA AFTER EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED CENTRAL SENSITIZATION

The Society for Back Pain Research (SBPR) 2018 Meeting, Groningen, The Netherlands, 15–16 November 2018.



Abstract

Purposes of the study and background

An increasing number of clinical studies involving a range of chronic pain conditions report widespread mechanical pressure pain hypersensitivity, which is commonly interpreted as resulting from central sensitization (CS). Secondary hyperalgesia (increased pinprick sensitivity surrounding the site of injury) is considered to be a manifestation of central sensitization. However, it has not been rigorously tested whether central sensitization induced by peripheral nociceptive input, involves widespread mechanical pressure pain hypersensitivity. The aim of this study was to assess whether high frequency electrical stimulation (HFS), which induces a robust secondary hyperalgesia, also induces a widespread decrease of pain pressure thresholds (PPTs).

Summary of the methods and results

We measured PPTs bilaterally on the temples (temporalis muscles), on the legs (tibialis anterior muscles) and on the ventral forearm (flexor carpi radialis muscles) before, 20 min after, and 45 min after applying HFS on the ventral forearm of sixteen healthy young volunteers. To evaluate the presence of secondary hyperalgesia, mechanical pin-prick sensitivity was assessed on the skin surrounding the site where HFS was applied and also on the contralateral arm. HFS induced a significant increase in mechanical pinprick sensitivity on the HFS-treated arm. However, HFS did not decrease PPTs either in the area of increased pinprick sensitivity nor at more distant sites.

Conclusion

The present study provides no evidence for the hypothesis that central sensitization, induced after intense activation of skin nociceptors, involves a widespread decrease of PPTs.

No conflicts of interest

Sources of Funding: This study was funded by the Université Catholique de Louvain


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