Attenuation of Self-Induced Pain in Women With Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Healthy Controls

IF 3.5 2区医学 Q1 ANESTHESIOLOGY

European Journal of Pain Pub Date : 2025-06-09 DOI:10.1002/ejp.70057

Maria Lalouni, Jens Fust, Johan Bjureberg, Sebastian Blomé, William H. Thompson, Nitya Jayaram-Lindström, Eva Kosek, Clara Hellner, H. Henrik Ehrsson, Konstantina Kilteni, Karin B. Jensen

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Abstract

Background

Individuals who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) have a reduced pain sensitivity. Self-induced pain is attenuated compared with externally induced pain, and this phenomenon, sensory attenuation, could partly explain the insensitivity to pain in individuals with NSSI.

Methods

The objective was to assess sensory attenuation in women with NSSI compared to controls. In total, 81 women aged 18–35 years, mean age 23.4 (SD = 3.9), with NSSI (n = 41) or controls (n = 40) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Self-induced and experimenter-induced pressure pain thresholds were assessed. Correlation tests assessed possible associations between sensory attenuation and NSSI frequency, NSSI duration and conditioned pain modulation.

Results

Across groups, the average self-induced pressure pain was 164.8 kPa (SE = 25.2, 95% CI = 114.8–214.7) higher than the average experimenter-induced pressure pain (d = 0.66). On average, NSSI participants displayed 106.7 kPa (SE = 42.9, 95% CI = 21.7–191.8) higher pressure pain thresholds than controls (d = 0.42), but there was no significant interaction effect for group (NSSI vs. controls) and condition (self-induced vs. experimenter-induced pain) (p = 0.102). However, a greater number of NSSI participants than controls were identified as exhibiting sensory attenuation (p = 0.022) when applying a threshold of ≥ 10% for sensory attenuation. Sensory attenuation correlated with conditioned pain modulation (tau = 0.17; p = 0.025), but not with NSSI frequency or duration.

Conclusion

Sensory attenuation of self-induced pressure was more prevalent in participants with NSSI than in controls, but there was no evidence that sensory attenuation was related to NSSI frequency or duration. The correlation between the sensory attenuation and conditioned pain modulation may be an indication of mutual anti-nociceptive mechanisms.

Significance Statement

Sensory attenuation of self-induced pain was present in both participants with NSSI and controls, but a greater number of NSSI participants were identified as exhibiting sensory attenuation, applying a threshold of ≥ 10% for sensory attenuation. Sensory attenuation may facilitate NSSI behaviour because when pain is attenuated, the pain barrier for engaging in self-harm will be reduced.

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非自杀性自伤妇女和健康对照者自我疼痛的衰减

从事非自杀性自伤（NSSI）的个体具有较低的疼痛敏感性。与外源性疼痛相比，自伤疼痛是减弱的，这种感觉减弱的现象可以部分解释自伤个体对疼痛的不敏感。方法与对照组相比，目的是评估自伤女性的感觉衰减。在这项横断面研究中，共招募了81名年龄在18-35岁之间的女性，平均年龄23.4岁（SD = 3.9），有自伤（n = 41）或对照组（n = 40）。评估自我诱导和实验者诱导的压痛阈值。相关测试评估了感觉衰减与自伤频率、自伤持续时间和条件疼痛调节之间的可能关联。结果各组大鼠自致压痛平均为164.8 kPa (SE = 25.2, 95% CI = 114.8 ~ 214.7)，高于实验诱导压痛平均（d = 0.66）。平均而言，自伤组的压力疼痛阈值比对照组高106.7 kPa (SE = 42.9, 95% CI = 21.7-191.8) (d = 0.42)，但组（自伤组与对照组）和条件（自我诱导与实验者诱导的疼痛）之间没有显著的相互作用效应（p = 0.102）。然而，当使用≥10%的感觉衰减阈值时，更多的自伤参与者被确定为表现出感觉衰减（p = 0.022）。感觉衰减与条件疼痛调节相关(tau = 0.17；p = 0.025)，但与自伤频率和持续时间无关。结论自伤患者的感觉压力衰减比对照组更为普遍，但没有证据表明感觉压力衰减与自伤频率或持续时间有关。感觉衰减与条件疼痛调节之间的相关性可能是相互的抗伤害机制的指示。自伤者和对照组均存在自我诱发疼痛的感觉衰减，但更多自伤者表现出感觉衰减，采用≥10%的感觉衰减阈值。感觉减弱可能会促进自伤行为，因为当疼痛减弱时，从事自伤的疼痛障碍就会减少。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

European Journal of Pain 医学-临床神经学

CiteScore

7.50

自引率

5.60%

发文量

163

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： European Journal of Pain (EJP) publishes clinical and basic science research papers relevant to all aspects of pain and its management, including specialties such as anaesthesia, dentistry, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, palliative care, pharmacology, physiology, psychiatry, psychology and rehabilitation; socio-economic aspects of pain are also covered. Regular sections in the journal are as follows: • Editorials and Commentaries • Position Papers and Guidelines • Reviews • Original Articles • Letters • Bookshelf The journal particularly welcomes clinical trials, which are published on an occasional basis. Research articles are published under the following subject headings: • Neurobiology • Neurology • Experimental Pharmacology • Clinical Pharmacology • Psychology • Behavioural Therapy • Epidemiology • Cancer Pain • Acute Pain • Clinical Trials.