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Nunes JC, Costa GPA, Weleff J, Rogan M, Compton P, De Aquino JP. Assessing pain in persons with opioid use disorder: Approaches, techniques and special considerations. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38556851 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.16055] [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: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Pain and opioid use disorder (OUD) are inextricably linked, as the former can be a risk factor for the development of the latter, and over a third of persons with OUD suffer concomitant chronic pain. Assessing pain among people with OUD is challenging, because ongoing opioid use brings changes in pain responses and most pain assessment tools have not been validated for this population. In this narrative review, we discuss the fundamentals of pain assessment for populations with OUD. First, we describe the biological, psychological and social aspects of the pain experience among people with OUD, as well as how opioid-related phenomena may contribute to the pain experience in this population. We then review methods to assess pain, including (1) traditional self-reported methods, such visual analogue scales and structured questionnaires; (2) behavioural observations and physiological indicators; (3) and laboratory-based approaches, such as quantitative sensory testing. These methods are considered from a perspective that encompasses both pain and OUD. Finally, we discuss strategies for improving pain assessment in persons with OUD and implications for future research, including educational strategies for multidisciplinary teams. We highlight the substantial gaps that persist in this literature, particularly regarding the applicability of current pain assessment methods to persons with OUD, as well as the generalizability of the existing results from adjacent populations on chronic opioid therapy but without OUD. As research linking pain and OUD evolves, considering the needs of diverse populations with complex psychosocial backgrounds, clinicians will be better equipped to reduce these gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio C Nunes
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Gabriel P A Costa
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Jeremy Weleff
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michael Rogan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Peggy Compton
- Department of Family and Community Health, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joao P De Aquino
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Watso JC, Huang M, Belval LN, Cimino FA, Jarrard CP, Hendrix JM, Hinojosa-Laborde C, Crandall CG. Low-dose fentanyl reduces pain perception, muscle sympathetic nerve activity responses, and blood pressure responses during the cold pressor test. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2022; 322:R64-R76. [PMID: 34851729 PMCID: PMC8742733 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00218.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Our knowledge about how low-dose (analgesic) fentanyl affects autonomic cardiovascular regulation is primarily limited to animal experiments. Notably, it is unknown if low-dose fentanyl influences human autonomic cardiovascular responses during painful stimuli in humans. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that low-dose fentanyl reduces perceived pain and subsequent sympathetic and cardiovascular responses in humans during an experimental noxious stimulus. Twenty-three adults (10 females/13 males; 27 ± 7 yr; 26 ± 3 kg·m-2, means ± SD) completed this randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled trial during two laboratory visits. During each visit, participants completed a cold pressor test (CPT; hand in ∼0.4°C ice bath for 2 min) before and 5 min after drug/placebo administration (75 μg fentanyl or saline). We compared pain perception (100-mm visual analog scale), muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA; microneurography, 11 paired recordings), and beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP; photoplethysmography) between trials (at both pre- and postdrug/placebo timepoints) using paired, two-tailed t tests. Before drug/placebo administration, perceived pain (P = 0.8287), ΔMSNA burst frequency (P = 0.7587), and Δmean BP (P = 0.8649) during the CPT were not different between trials. After the drug/placebo administration, fentanyl attenuated perceived pain (36 vs. 66 mm, P < 0.0001), ΔMSNA burst frequency (9 vs. 17 bursts/min, P = 0.0054), and Δmean BP (7 vs. 13 mmHg, P = 0.0174) during the CPT compared with placebo. Fentanyl-induced reductions in pain perception and Δmean BP were moderately related (r = 0.40, P = 0.0641). These data provide valuable information regarding how low-dose fentanyl reduces autonomic cardiovascular responses during an experimental painful stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C. Watso
- 1Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas,2Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Mu Huang
- 1Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas,3Department of Applied Clinical Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Luke N. Belval
- 1Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas,2Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Frank A. Cimino
- 1Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Caitlin P. Jarrard
- 3Department of Applied Clinical Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Joseph M. Hendrix
- 1Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas,4Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Carmen Hinojosa-Laborde
- 5United States Army Institute of Surgical Research, Joint
Base San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Craig G. Crandall
- 1Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas,2Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas,3Department of Applied Clinical Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Spontaneous or experimentally induced high blood pressure (BP) is associated with reduced pain perception, known as BP-related hypoalgesia. Despite its clinical implications, such as the interference with early detection of myocardial infarction in 'at risk' groups, the size of the association between high BP and pain has not yet been quantified. Moreover, the distinct association between high BP and physiological or psychological components of pain has not yet been considered so far. The aim of this study was to overcome this gap by performing separate meta-analyses on nociceptive response versus quantifiable perceptual measures of pain in relation to high BP. METHODS PubMed and Web of Knowledge databases were searched for English language studies conducted in humans. Fifty-nine studies were eligible for the analyses. Pooled effect sizes (Hedges' g) were compared. Random effect models were used. Results show that higher BP is significantly associated with lower nociceptive response (g = 0.38; k = 6) and reduced pain perception, assessed by quantifiable measures (g = 0.48; k = 59). RESULTS The association between BP and pain perception, derived from highly heterogeneous studies, was characterized by significant publication bias. BP assessment, pain assessment, site of pain stimulation, percentage of female participants in the sample, and control for potential confounders were significant moderators. CONCLUSION Current meta-analytic results confirm the presence of BP-related hypoalgesia and point towards the need for a better understanding of its underlying mechanisms.
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de la Coba P, Bruehl S, Garber J, Smith CA, Walker LS. Is Resolution of Chronic Pain Associated With Changes in Blood Pressure-related Hypoalgesia? Ann Behav Med 2019; 52:552-559. [PMID: 29860365 DOI: 10.1093/abm/kax021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In healthy individuals, elevated resting blood pressure (BP) is associated with reduced pain responsiveness and lower temporal summation. Prior work indicates that this BP-related hypoalgesia is reduced in individuals with chronic pain. Purpose This study evaluated whether resolution of chronic pain was associated with greater BP-related hypoalgesia compared to nonresolution. Methods From a prospective sample of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with chronic functional abdominal pain an average of 9 years earlier, 99 individuals in whom the condition had resolved and 51 individuals with ongoing abdominal pain were studied. Resting systolic BP was assessed, followed by evaluation of thermal pain threshold and tolerance, and assessment of temporal summation to thermal pain stimuli. Results Higher resting systolic BP was significantly associated with higher pain threshold and tolerance, and lower temporal summation only in the group with resolved functional abdominal pain (p < .05). Hierarchical regressions revealed that interactions between BP and resolution of chronic pain were significant only for pain tolerance (p < .05). Analyses by sex indicated that interactions between BP and resolution status were significant for the temporal summation outcome in males but not in females. Conclusions Results suggest that BP-related hypoalgesic mechanisms may be more effective in individuals in whom chronic pain has resolved compared to those with ongoing chronic pain. Findings hint at sex differences in the extent to which resolution of chronic pain is associated with BP-related hypoalgesia. Whether greater BP-related hypoalgesia is a consequence of, or alternatively a contributor to, resolution of chronic pain warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen Bruehl
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Judy Garber
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Craig A Smith
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Lynn S Walker
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Vo L, Hood S, Drummond PD. Involvement of Opioid Receptors and α2-Adrenoceptors in Inhibitory Pain Modulation Processes: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2016; 17:1164-1173. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Vo L, Drummond PD. Involvement of α2-adrenoceptors in inhibitory and facilitatory pain modulation processes. Eur J Pain 2015; 20:386-98. [PMID: 26032281 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In healthy humans, high-frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of the forearm not only produces hyperalgesia at the site of stimulation but also reduces sensitivity to pressure-pain on the ipsilateral side of the forehead. In addition, HFS augments the ipsilateral trigeminal nociceptive blink reflex and intensifies the ipsilateral component of conditioned pain modulation. The aim of this study was to determine whether α2-adrenoceptors mediate these ipsilateral nociceptive influences. METHODS The α2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine was administered to 22 participants in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. In each session, thermal and mechanical sensitivity in the forearms and forehead was assessed before and after HFS. In addition, the combined effect of HFS and yohimbine on the nociceptive blink reflex and on conditioned pain modulation was explored. In this paradigm, the conditioning stimulus was cold pain in the ipsilateral or contralateral temple, and the test stimulus was electrically evoked pain in the forearm. RESULTS Blood pressure and electrodermal activity increased for several hours after yohimbine administration, consistent with blockade of central α2-adrenoceptors. Yohimbine not only augmented the nociceptive blink reflex ipsilateral to HFS but also intensified the inhibitory influence of ipsilateral temple cooling on electrically evoked pain at the HFS-treated site in the forearm. Yohimbine had no consistent effect on primary or secondary hyperalgesia in the forearm or on pressure-pain in the ipsilateral forehead. CONCLUSIONS These findings imply involvement of α2-adrenoceptors both in ipsilateral antinociceptive and pronociceptive pain modulation processes. However, a mechanism not involving α2-adrenoceptors appears to mediate analgesia in the ipsilateral forehead after HFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Vo
- Centre for Research on Chronic Pain and Inflammatory Diseases, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - P D Drummond
- Centre for Research on Chronic Pain and Inflammatory Diseases, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
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Cardiovascular influences on conditioned pain modulation. Pain 2013; 154:1377-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Fechir M, Breimhorst M, Kritzmann S, Geber C, Schlereth T, Baier B, Birklein F. Naloxone inhibits not only stress-induced analgesia but also sympathetic activation and baroreceptor-reflex sensitivity. Eur J Pain 2012; 16:82-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2011.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Fechir
- Department of Neurology; University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz; Langenbeckstrasse 1; D-55101; Mainz; Germany
| | - M. Breimhorst
- Department of Neurology; University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz; Langenbeckstrasse 1; D-55101; Mainz; Germany
| | - S. Kritzmann
- Department of Neurology; University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz; Langenbeckstrasse 1; D-55101; Mainz; Germany
| | - C. Geber
- Department of Neurology; University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz; Langenbeckstrasse 1; D-55101; Mainz; Germany
| | - T. Schlereth
- Department of Neurology; University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz; Langenbeckstrasse 1; D-55101; Mainz; Germany
| | - B. Baier
- Department of Neurology; University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz; Langenbeckstrasse 1; D-55101; Mainz; Germany
| | - F. Birklein
- Department of Neurology; University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz; Langenbeckstrasse 1; D-55101; Mainz; Germany
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Bruehl S, Burns JW, Chung OY, Chont M. What do plasma beta-endorphin levels reveal about endogenous opioid analgesic function? Eur J Pain 2011; 16:370-80. [PMID: 22337161 DOI: 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2011.00021.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Plasma levels of beta-endorphin (BE), an endogenous opioid analgesic, are often reported as they relate to acute and chronic pain outcomes. However, little is known about what resting plasma BE levels might reveal about functioning of the endogenous opioid antinociceptive system. This study directly examined associations between resting plasma BE and subsequent endogenous opioid analgesic responses to acute pain in 39 healthy controls and 37 individuals with chronic low back pain (LBP). Resting baseline levels of plasma BE were assessed. Next, participants received opioid blockade (8 mg naloxone i.v.) or placebo in a double-blind, randomized, crossover design. Participants then underwent two acute pain stimuli: finger pressure (FP) pain and ischaemic (ISC) forearm pain. Blockade effects (naloxone minus placebo pain ratings) were derived to index endogenous opioid analgesic function. In placebo condition analyses for both pain stimuli, higher resting BE levels were associated with subsequently greater reported pain intensity (p's < 0.05), with this effect occurring primarily in healthy controls (BE × Participant Type interactions, p's < 0.05). In blockade effect analyses across both pain tasks, higher resting plasma BE predicted less subsequent endogenous opioid analgesia (smaller blockade effects; p's < 0.05). For the ISC task, these links were significantly more prominent in LBP participants (BE × Participant Type Interactions, p's < 0.05). Results suggest that elevated resting plasma BE may be a potential biomarker for reduced endogenous opioid analgesic capacity, particularly among individuals with chronic pain. Potential clinical implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Bruehl
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Smith MT, Quartana PJ. The riddle of the sphinx: Sleep, pain, and depression. Sleep Med 2010; 11:745-6. [PMID: 20692204 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2010.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2010] [Accepted: 05/26/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Sympathetic skin response following painful electrical stimulation is increased in major depression. Pain 2010; 149:130-134. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2009] [Revised: 12/06/2009] [Accepted: 01/26/2010] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Bruehl S, Burns JW, Chung OY, Magid E, Chont M, Gilliam W, Matsuura J, Somar K, Goodlad JK, Stone K, Cairl H. Hypoalgesia associated with elevated resting blood pressure: evidence for endogenous opioid involvement. J Behav Med 2009; 33:168-76. [PMID: 20039197 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-009-9241-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2009] [Accepted: 12/09/2009] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
This study used a placebo-controlled, between-subjects opioid blockade design to evaluate endogenous opioid involvement in the hypoalgesia associated with elevated resting blood pressure (BP) in 163 healthy individuals. Participants were randomly assigned to Drug condition (placebo, naltrexone) and Task Order (computerized maze task with harassment followed by an ischemic pain task or vice versa). Resting BP was assessed, followed by drug administration, and then the pain and maze tasks. A significant Drug x Systolic BP (SBP) interaction was observed on McGill Pain Questionnaire-Affective pain ratings (P < .01), indicating that BP-related hypoalgesia observed under placebo was absent under opioid blockade. A significant Gender x Drug x SBP x Task Order interaction was observed for VAS pain intensity (P < .02). Examination of simple effects comprising this interaction suggested that BP-related hypoalgesia occurred only in male participants who experienced the pain task in the absence of emotional arousal, and indicated that this hypoalgesia occurred under placebo but not under opioid-blockade. Results suggest that under some circumstance, BP-related hypoalgesia may have an endogenous opioid-mediated component in healthy individuals, particularly men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Bruehl
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
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