The effects of C-tactile stimulation on temporal summation of second pain: A study of the central and peripheral neural correlates

IF 2.7 4区医学 Q3 NEUROSCIENCES

Brain Research Pub Date : 2024-10-05 DOI:10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149267

Márcia da-Silva, Ana Rita Pereira, Adriana Sampaio, Joana Coutinho, Alberto J. González-Villar

{"title":"The effects of C-tactile stimulation on temporal summation of second pain: A study of the central and peripheral neural correlates","authors":"Márcia da-Silva, Ana Rita Pereira, Adriana Sampaio, Joana Coutinho, Alberto J. González-Villar","doi":"10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149267","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Affective touch is mediated by specialized receptors sensitive to gentle and slow touch called C-tactile afferents (CT). The activation of these receptors has shown promise in reducing subjective pain ratings, however, how this type of touch can affect central sensitization processes is poorly studied. This work aimed to investigate if affective touch is able to modulate pain sensitization and its electrophysiological correlates during Temporal Summation of Second Pain (TSSP), a phenomenon characterized by an increase in pain perception due to repeated noxious stimuli.</div><div>Thirty-seven participants underwent a TSSP protocol involving three conditions: TSSP alone, TSSP during vibrotactile stimulation, and TSSP during CT stimulation (administered with a brush mounted in a robot arm). We measured subjective pain ratings, electroencephalographic (N2-P2 complex) and electrocardiographic activity during these conditions.</div><div>Participants reported a significantly lower increase of pain during CT stimulation compared to vibrotactile stimulation, but not to TSSP alone. In addition, TSSP was reduced when administered in the ipsilateral arm compared to the other somatosensory stimulation. Subjective reports of attention towards painful stimuli, amplitude of the N2-P2 complex, and heart rate were also reduced during CT stimulation. <u>Conclusion</u>: Our results indicated that the activation of CT receptors may reduce sensitization compared to other types of somatosensory stimulation, which is possibly related to the reduction of the attention devoted to nociceptive stimulation. Our results suggest that activation of CT receptors may alleviate the occurrence of central pain sensitization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9083,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research","volume":"1846 ","pages":"Article 149267"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Brain Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899324005213","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"NEUROSCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Affective touch is mediated by specialized receptors sensitive to gentle and slow touch called C-tactile afferents (CT). The activation of these receptors has shown promise in reducing subjective pain ratings, however, how this type of touch can affect central sensitization processes is poorly studied. This work aimed to investigate if affective touch is able to modulate pain sensitization and its electrophysiological correlates during Temporal Summation of Second Pain (TSSP), a phenomenon characterized by an increase in pain perception due to repeated noxious stimuli.

Thirty-seven participants underwent a TSSP protocol involving three conditions: TSSP alone, TSSP during vibrotactile stimulation, and TSSP during CT stimulation (administered with a brush mounted in a robot arm). We measured subjective pain ratings, electroencephalographic (N2-P2 complex) and electrocardiographic activity during these conditions.

Participants reported a significantly lower increase of pain during CT stimulation compared to vibrotactile stimulation, but not to TSSP alone. In addition, TSSP was reduced when administered in the ipsilateral arm compared to the other somatosensory stimulation. Subjective reports of attention towards painful stimuli, amplitude of the N2-P2 complex, and heart rate were also reduced during CT stimulation. Conclusion: Our results indicated that the activation of CT receptors may reduce sensitization compared to other types of somatosensory stimulation, which is possibly related to the reduction of the attention devoted to nociceptive stimulation. Our results suggest that activation of CT receptors may alleviate the occurrence of central pain sensitization.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

C触觉刺激对第二次疼痛时间总和的影响：中枢和外周神经相关性研究。

情感触觉是由对轻柔和缓慢触觉敏感的专门受体介导的，这种受体被称为 C 触觉传入（CT）。这些受体的激活有望降低主观疼痛评级，然而，这种类型的触摸如何影响中枢敏化过程却鲜有研究。这项研究旨在探讨情感触觉是否能够调节第二次疼痛时相累加（TSSP）过程中的痛觉敏感化及其电生理学相关性。37 名参与者接受了包含三种条件的 TSSP 方案：单独的 TSSP、振动刺激时的 TSSP 和 CT 刺激时的 TSSP（使用安装在机械臂上的刷子）。在这些条件下，我们测量了主观疼痛评分、脑电图（N2-P2 复极）和心电图活动。与振动触觉刺激相比，受试者在 CT 刺激时的疼痛加剧程度明显降低，但与单独的 TSSP 相比则没有明显降低。此外，与其他躯体感觉刺激相比，在同侧手臂上进行的 TSSP 刺激会降低疼痛感。在 CT 刺激期间，对疼痛刺激的注意力的主观报告、N2-P2 复合物的振幅和心率也会降低。结论我们的研究结果表明，与其他类型的躯体感觉刺激相比，激活 CT 受体可能会降低敏感性，这可能与减少对痛觉刺激的注意力有关。我们的结果表明，激活 CT 受体可减轻中枢痛觉过敏的发生。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Brain Research 医学-神经科学

CiteScore

5.90

自引率

3.40%

发文量

268

审稿时长

47 days

期刊介绍： An international multidisciplinary journal devoted to fundamental research in the brain sciences. Brain Research publishes papers reporting interdisciplinary investigations of nervous system structure and function that are of general interest to the international community of neuroscientists. As is evident from the journals name, its scope is broad, ranging from cellular and molecular studies through systems neuroscience, cognition and disease. Invited reviews are also published; suggestions for and inquiries about potential reviews are welcomed. With the appearance of the final issue of the 2011 subscription, Vol. 67/1-2 (24 June 2011), Brain Research Reviews has ceased publication as a distinct journal separate from Brain Research. Review articles accepted for Brain Research are now published in that journal.