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Heart Rate Variability and Sensitivity to Experimentally Induced Pain: A Replication
Author(s) -
Tracy Lincoln M.,
Jarczok Marc N.,
Ellis Robert J.,
Bach Claudia,
Hillecke Thomas K.,
Thayer Julian F.,
Koenig Julian
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
pain practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1533-2500
pISSN - 1530-7085
DOI - 10.1111/papr.12652
Subject(s) - hum , psychosocial , psychosomatic medicine , medicine , psychology , psychiatry , art , art history , performance art
The neural systems controlling cardiovascular function are closely coupled to systems modulating the perception of pain; as a result, interactions may be observed between measures indexing pain sensation and autonomic control. The present paper aimed to replicate earlier findings investigating the relationship of heart rate variability (HRV) and pain sensitivity. Thirty-four subjects received nociceptive stimulation using the cold pressor test (CPT; 4°C) after HRV was recorded for 5 minutes prior to painful stimulation. Pain threshold and pain tolerance were determined, and subjects were asked to rate their pain intensity on hand removal on a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS 0-10). Multiple linear regression models revealed that low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) HRV, obtained immediately prior to hand immersion in cold water, predicted later self-reports of pain intensity. However, HRV did not predict pain threshold and tolerance. Subjects with greater LF- and HF-HRV prior to the experience of pain using a standardized stimulus, report lower pain intensity. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the use of HRV to quantify subjective pain experience. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.