Childhood Adversity and Pain Sensitization

Bibliographic Data

ID19307449
AuthorsDokyoung S You (0000-0003-0724-7324, Texas A&M University), Mary W Meagher (0009-0003-3563-9621, St. Mary's University, Texas, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume78
Issue9
Pages1084-1093
Publication date2016-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychosomatic Medicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-3174 • E-ISSN: 1534-7796
PublisherOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/psy.0000000000000399
PMID27755280
OpenAlexW2531782701
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited47

OBJECTIVE: Childhood adversity is a vulnerability factor for chronic pain. However, the underlying pain mechanisms influenced by childhood adversity remain unknown. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of childhood adversity on dynamic pain sensitivity in young adults. METHODS: After screening for childhood adverse events and health status, healthy individuals reporting low (below median; n = 75) or high levels of adversity (the top 5%; n = 51) were invited for pain testing. Both groups underwent heat pain threshold and temporal summation of second pain (TSSP) testing after reporting depressive symptoms. TSSP refers to a progressive increase in pain intensity with repetition of identical noxious stimuli and is attributed to central sensitization. Changes in pain ratings over time (slope) were computed for TSSP sensitization and decay of subsequent aftersensations. RESULTS: The high-adversity group showed greater TSSP sensitization (meanslope, 0.75; SDpositive slope, 1.78), and a trend toward a slower decay (meanslope, -11.9; SD, 3.4), whereas the low-adversity group showed minimal sensitization (meanslope, 0.07; SDnear-zero slope, 1.77), F(1,123) = 5.84, p = .017 and faster decay (meanslope, -13.1; SD, 3.4), F(1,123) = 3.79, p = .054. This group difference remained significant even after adjusting for adult depressive symptoms (p = .033). No group difference was found in heat pain threshold (p = .85). Lastly, the high-adversity group showed blunted cardiac and skin conductance responses. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that enhancement of central sensitization may provide a mechanism underlying the pain hypersensitivity and chronicity linked to childhood adversity

Adverse Childhood Experiences · Central sensitization · Chronic pain · Cognition · Depressive symptoms · Mental health · Nociception · Physical therapy · Psychiatry · Sensitization · Threshold of pain · Clinical Psychology · Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Pain Mechanisms and Treatments · Pediatric Pain Management Techniques · Psychology

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