Title Cardiac-Gated Neuromodulation Increased Baroreflex Sensitivity and Reduced Pain Sensitivity in Female Fibromyalgia Patients.
Author Thieme, Kati; Jung, Kathrin; Mathys, Marc G; Gracely, Richard H; Turk, Dennis C
Journal J Clin Med Publication Year/Month 2022-Oct
PMID 36294542 PMCID PMC9605536
Affiliation + expend 1.Department of Medical Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany.

The study presents a novel approach of programing pain inhibition in chronic pain patients based on the hypothesis that pain perception is modulated by dysfunctional dorsal medial nucleus tractus solitarii (dmNTS) reflex arcs that produce diminished baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) resulting from a conditioned response. This study tested whether administration of noxious and non-noxious electrical stimuli synchronized with the cardiac cycle resets BRS, reestablishing pain inhibition. A total of 30 pain-free normotensives controls (NC) and 32 normotensives fibromyalgia (FM) patients received two, approximately 8 min-epochs of cardiac-gated, peripheral electrical stimuli. Non-painful and painful electrical stimuli were synchronized to the cardiac cycle as the neuromodulation experimental protocol (EP) with two control conditions (CC1, CC2). BRS, heart-rate-variability (HRV), pain threshold and tolerance, and clinical pain intensity were assessed. Reduced BRS in FM at baseline increased by 41% during two, approximately 8 min-epochs of stimulation. Thresholds in FM increased significantly during the experimental protocol (all Ps < 0.001) as did HRV. FM levels of clinical pain significantly decreased by 35.52% during the experimental protocol but not during control stimulations (p < 0.001). Baroreceptor training may reduce FM pain by BRS-mediated effects on intrinsic pain regulatory systems and autonomic responses.

  • Copyright © 2023
    National Institute of Pathogen Biology, CAMS & PUMC, Bejing, China
    All rights reserved.