Abstract
Objective To investigate the effect of psychological arousal on pain ratings and the R2 component of the electrically evoked blink reflex to a ‘pure’ noiciceptive stimulus. Methods Pain ratings and R2 to a noiciceptive stimulus (pulse width 0.3 ms, 2 mA, delivered from a concentric electrode attached to the supraorbital region of the forehead) were investigated in 16 healthy participants before and during a serial subtraction task, and in 16 control participants who sat quietly during nociceptive stimulation. Results Pain ratings decreased whereas R2 amplitude increased during the serial subtraction task. Conclusions Supra-spinal rather than spinal mechanisms inhibited pain perception during psychological arousal. Moreover, psychological arousal facilitated the R2 component of the blink reflex to a nociception-specific stimulus. Significance Supra-spinal influences need to be considered during clinical evaluation of the trigeminal nociceptive blink reflex.
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