Learned control over spinal nociception in patients with chronic back pain

Krafft, S.; Göhmann, H.-D.; Sommer, J.; Straube, A. und Ruscheweyh, R. (2017): Learned control over spinal nociception in patients with chronic back pain. In: European Journal of Pain, Bd. 21, Nr. 9: S. 1538-1549

Abstract

BackgroundDescending pain inhibition suppresses spinal nociception, reducing nociceptive input to the brain. It is modulated by cognitive and emotional processes. In subjects with chronic pain, it is impaired, possibly contributing to pain persistence. A previously developed feedback method trains subjects to activate their descending inhibition. Participants are trained to use cognitive-emotional strategies to reduce their spinal nociception, as quantified by the nociceptive flexor reflex (RIII reflex), under visual feedback about their RIII reflex size. The aim of the present study was to test whether also subjects with chronic back pain can achieve a modulation of their descending pain inhibition under RIII feedback. MethodsIn total, 33 subjects with chronic back pain received either true (n=18) or sham RIII feedback (n=15), 15 healthy control subjects received true RIII feedback. ResultsAll three groups achieved significant RIII suppression, largest in controls (to 7626% of baseline), intermediate in chronic back pain subjects receiving true feedback (to 8213%) and smallest in chronic back pain subjects receiving sham feedback (to 89 +/- 14%, all p<0.05). However, only chronic pain subjects receiving true feedback significantly improved their descending inhibition over the feedback training, quantified by the conditioned pain modulation effect (test pain reduction of baseline before training: to 98 +/- 26%, after: to 80 +/- 21%, p<0.01). ConclusionOur results show that subjects with chronic back pain can achieve a reduction of their spinal nociception and improve their descending pain inhibition under RIII feedback training. SignificanceSubjects with chronic back pain can learn to control their spinal nociception, quantified by the RIII reflex, when they receive feedback about the RIII reflex.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Medizin
• Fakultätsübergreifende Einrichtungen: Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN)
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit ; 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 500 Naturwissenschaften
• ISSN: 1090-3801
• Sprache: Englisch