Affect balance style, experimental pain sensitivity, and pain-related responses The Clinical Journal of Pain, 05/16/2012

Sibille KT et al. – Findings from the study suggest that among healthy adults, trait affect patterns are associated with ischemic experimental pain sensitivity and other pain–related measures.

• Participants (n=372) completed quantitative sensory testing, pain–related questionnaires, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale.
• ABS groups were categorized as Healthy (high PA, low NA), Low (low PA, low NA), Depressive (low PA, high NA), and Reactive (high PA, high NA).
• Z–scores were computed for 3 experimental pain measures: ischemic, pressure, and heat.

• ABS groups significantly differed on ischemic pain sensitivity and pain–related measures.
• Specifically, the Healthy group demonstrated lower ischemic pain sensitivity compared with the Reactive group (P=0.02); the Depressive and Reactive groups endorsed higher somatic symptoms compared with the Healthy group (P<0.02); the Low and Depressive groups reported more physical stimuli sensitivity than the Healthy group (P<0.02); and the Reactive group indicated more passive coping strategies then the Low and Healthy groups (P=0.001).