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van der Miesen MM, Joosten EA, Kaas AL, Linden DE, Peters JC, Vossen CJ. Habituation to pain: self-report, electroencephalography, and functional magnetic resonance imaging in healthy individuals. A scoping review and future recommendations. Pain 2024; 165:500-522. [PMID: 37851343 PMCID: PMC10859850 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Habituation to pain is a fundamental learning process and important adaption. Yet, a comprehensive review of the current state of the field is lacking. Through a systematic search, 63 studies were included. Results address habituation to pain in healthy individuals based on self-report, electroencephalography, or functional magnetic resonance imaging. Our findings indicate a large variety in methods, experimental settings, and contexts, making habituation a ubiquitous phenomenon. Habituation to pain based on self-report studies shows a large influence of expectations, as well as the presence of individual differences. Furthermore, widespread neural effects, with sometimes opposing effects in self-report measures, are noted. Electroencephalography studies showed habituation of the N2-P2 amplitude, whereas functional magnetic resonance imaging studies showed decreasing activity during painful repeated stimulation in several identified brain areas (cingulate cortex and somatosensory cortices). Important considerations for the use of terminology, methodology, statistics, and individual differences are discussed. This review will aid our understanding of habituation to pain in healthy individuals and may lead the way to improving methods and designs for personalized treatment approaches in chronic pain patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite M. van der Miesen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Elbert A. Joosten
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Amanda L. Kaas
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - David E.J. Linden
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Judith C. Peters
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Catherine J. Vossen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Jurth C, Lichtner G, Bienert T, von Dincklage F. The variability in nociceptive flexion reflex threshold measurement is mostly caused by probabilistic effects of the estimation algorithms: a simulation study. Int J Neurosci 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38315138 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2024.2312991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) and its threshold are frequently used to investigate spinal nociception in humans. Since this threshold (NFRT) is a probabilistic measure, specific algorithms are used for NFRT estimation based on the stochastic occurrence of reflexes at different stimulus intensities. We used a validated simulation model of the NFR to investigate the amount of NFRT measurement variability induced by different estimation algorithms in a steady setting of reduced external influences. METHODS We simulated the behavior of different estimation algorithms in subjects with an artificially steady baseline NFRT variability (standard deviation: 0 mA) or low baseline NFRT variability (standard deviation: 0.156 mA), equaling a quiet experimental setting. The obtained data were analyzed for NFRT measurement variability caused by the algorithms compared to the baseline variability reflecting other physiological influences. RESULTS The standard deviation of the NFRT estimated by the different algorithms ranged between 0.381 and 3.464 mA with 96.8% to 99.6% of the measurement variability attributed to the algorithm used. Out of the investigated algorithms the dynamic staircase algorithm was most precise. CONCLUSION The NFRT measurement variability observed during quiet and steady experimental sessions is mostly caused by the properties of the estimation algorithms, due to the probabilistic nature of the reflex occurrence. Our results give reference for choosing the optimal estimation algorithm to improve measurement precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Jurth
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregor Lichtner
- Department of Anesthesia, Intensive Care, Emergency and Pain Medicine, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Thomas Bienert
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Falk von Dincklage
- Department of Anesthesia, Intensive Care, Emergency and Pain Medicine, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Vigorito M, Chang SL. Alcohol use and the pain system. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2024; 4:12005. [PMID: 38389900 PMCID: PMC10880763 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2024.12005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The World Health Organization's epidemiological data from 2016 revealed that while 57% of the global population aged 15 years or older had abstained from drinking alcohol in the previous year, more than half of the population in the Americas, Europe, and Western Pacific consumed alcohol. The spectrum of alcohol use behavior is broad: low-risk use (sensible and in moderation), at-risk use (e.g., binge drinking), harmful use (misuse) and dependence (alcoholism; addiction; alcohol use disorder). The at-risk use and misuse of alcohol is associated with the transition to dependence, as well as many damaging health outcomes and preventable causes of premature death. Recent conceptualizations of alcohol dependence posit that the subjective experience of pain may be a significant contributing factor in the transition across the spectrum of alcohol use behavior. This narrative review summarizes the effects of alcohol at all levels of the pain system. The pain system includes nociceptors as sensory indicators of potentially dangerous stimuli and tissue damage (nociception), spinal circuits mediating defensive reflexes, and most importantly, the supraspinal circuits mediating nocifensive behaviors and the perception of pain. Although the functional importance of pain is to protect from injury and further or future damage, chronic pain may emerge despite the recovery from, and absence of, biological damage (i.e., in the absence of nociception). Like other biological perceptual systems, pain is a construction contingent on sensory information and a history of individual experiences (i.e., learning and memory). Neuroadaptations and brain plasticity underlying learning and memory and other basic physiological functions can also result in pathological conditions such as chronic pain and addiction. Moreover, the negative affective/emotional aspect of pain perception provides embodied and motivational components that may play a substantial role in the transition from alcohol use to dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Vigorito
- Institute of NeuroImmune Pharmacology, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, United States
| | - Sulie L Chang
- Institute of NeuroImmune Pharmacology, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, United States
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van der Miesen MM, Vossen CJ, Joosten EA. Habituation to Pain in Patients with Chronic Pain: Clinical Implications and Future Directions. J Clin Med 2023; 12:4305. [PMID: 37445339 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12134305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, the latest insights into habituation to pain in chronic pain are summarized. Using a systematic search, results of studies on the evidence of habituation to (experimental) pain in migraine, chronic low back pain, fibromyalgia, and a variety of chronic pain indications are presented. In migraine, reduced habituation based on self-report and the EEG-based N1 and N2-P2 amplitude is reported, but the presence of contradictory results demands further replication in larger, well-designed studies. Habituation to pain in chronic low back pain seems not to differ from controls, with the exception of EEG measures. In fibromyalgia patients, there is some evidence for reduced habituation of the N2-P2 amplitude. Our analysis shows that the variability between outcomes of studies on habituation to pain is high. As the mechanisms underlying habituation to pain are still not fully understood and likely involve several pathways, it is now too early to conclude that habituation to pain is related to clinical outcomes and can be used as a diagnostic marker. The review ends with a discussion on future directions for research including the use of standard outcome measures to improve comparisons of habituation to pain in patients and controls, as well as a focus on individual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite M van der Miesen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Catherine J Vossen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Elbert A Joosten
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Liberati G, Algoet M, Klöcker A, Ferrao Santos S, Ribeiro-Vaz JG, Raftopoulos C, Mouraux A. Habituation of phase-locked local field potentials and gamma-band oscillations recorded from the human insula. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8265. [PMID: 29844373 PMCID: PMC5974133 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26604-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Salient nociceptive and non-nociceptive stimuli elicit low-frequency local field potentials (LFPs) in the human insula. Nociceptive stimuli also elicit insular gamma-band oscillations (GBOs), possibly preferential for thermonociception, which have been suggested to reflect the intensity of perceived pain. To shed light on the functional significance of these two responses, we investigated whether they would be modulated by stimulation intensity and temporal expectation - two factors contributing to stimulus saliency. Insular activity was recorded from 8 depth electrodes (41 contacts) implanted in the left insula of 6 patients investigated for epilepsy. Thermonociceptive, vibrotactile, and auditory stimuli were delivered using two intensities. To investigate the effects of temporal expectation, the stimuli were delivered in trains of three identical stimuli (S1-S2-S3) separated by a constant 1-s interval. Stimulation intensity affected intensity of perception, the magnitude of low-frequency LFPs, and the magnitude of nociceptive GBOs. Stimulus repetition did not affect perception. In contrast, both low-frequency LFPs and nociceptive GBOs showed a marked habituation of the responses to S2 and S3 as compared to S1 and, hence, a dissociation with intensity of perception. Most importantly, although insular nociceptive GBOs appear to be preferential for thermonociception, they cannot be considered as a correlate of perceived pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Liberati
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Maxime Algoet
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anne Klöcker
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - André Mouraux
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
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Vossen CJ, Luijcks R, van Os J, Joosten EA, Lousberg R. Does pain hypervigilance further impact the lack of habituation to pain in individuals with chronic pain? A cross-sectional pain ERP study. J Pain Res 2018; 11:395-405. [PMID: 29497330 PMCID: PMC5822847 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s146916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM In chronic pain, habituation is believed to be impaired, and pain hypervigilance can enhance the pain experience. The goal of this study was to determine whether pain hypervigilance further worsens habituation of event-related potentials, measured in a pain-rating protocol of 25 painful somatosensory electrical stimuli, in patients with chronic pain. METHODS Pain hypervigilance was assessed with the Pain Vigilance Awareness Questionnaire and analyzed using the event-related fixed interval areas multilevel technique, which enables one to study within-session habituation. In a cohort of 111 participants, 33 reported chronic pain. This chronic pain group was compared with 33 pain-free individuals, matched for age and sex. RESULTS The relationship between pain status and habituation was not moderated by pain hypervigilance. Chronic pain status affected linear habituation and dishabituation (quadratic function) from 220 to 260 ms for nearly all electrodes, and from 580 to 640 ms for frontal electrodes. The effect of pain hypervigilance on habituation was observed primarily from 480 to 820 ms poststimulus for right-sided and central electrodes. CONCLUSION Pain hypervigilance and chronic pain independently influence habituation to painful stimuli - although not synergistically. To confirm that these effects are mediated by separate pathways, further research is required, in which electroencephalography is combined with other modalities with adequate spatial resolution, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosan Luijcks
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jim van Os
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- King’s College London, King’s Health Partners, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | | | - Richel Lousberg
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Jurth C, Dörig TM, Lichtner G, Golebiewski A, Jakuscheit A, von Dincklage F. Development, validation and utility of a simulation model of the nociceptive flexion reflex threshold. Clin Neurophysiol 2017; 129:572-583. [PMID: 29367166 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2017.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A variety of algorithms is used for nociceptive flexion reflex threshold (NFRT) estimation, but their estimation accuracy is unknown. We developed a computer based simulation model of the NFRT to quantify and compare the accuracy of available estimation algorithms. METHODS This simulation model is based on basic characteristics of the NFRT and specified by data collected from 60 healthy volunteers. We validated the model by comparing simulated data with data obtained independently in another volunteer population. The model was used to quantify the accuracy of previously published NFRT estimation algorithm for three NFRT variabilities representing sensory deprivation, distraction and general anaesthesia. RESULTS The dynamic staircase algorithm obtained most accurate NFRT estimates during all NFRT variabilities. The number of stimuli applied can be chosen higher to increase estimate precision or lower to reduce measurement time. CONCLUSIONS Our simulation model is a valid tool to measure the accuracy of NFRT estimation algorithms. It can be applied to analyse and develop algorithms. The dynamic staircase algorithm shows the highest precision in NFRT estimation and is recommended for NFRT studies. SIGNIFICANCE Using optimized NFRT estimation algorithms increases precision in clinical and experimental NFRT studies and might therefore reduce the measurement effort necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Jurth
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Klinik für Anästhesiologie mit Schwerpunkt Operative Intensivmedizin, Campus Charité Mitte und Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany. https://www.charite.de
| | - Teresa M Dörig
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Klinik für Anästhesiologie mit Schwerpunkt Operative Intensivmedizin, Campus Charité Mitte und Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregor Lichtner
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Klinik für Anästhesiologie mit Schwerpunkt Operative Intensivmedizin, Campus Charité Mitte und Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna Golebiewski
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Klinik für Anästhesiologie mit Schwerpunkt Operative Intensivmedizin, Campus Charité Mitte und Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
| | - Axel Jakuscheit
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Klinik für Anästhesiologie mit Schwerpunkt Operative Intensivmedizin, Campus Charité Mitte und Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
| | - Falk von Dincklage
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Klinik für Anästhesiologie mit Schwerpunkt Operative Intensivmedizin, Campus Charité Mitte und Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
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