Internal validity of inter-digital web pinching as a model for perceptual diffuse noxious inhibitory controls-induced hypoalgesia in healthy humans

Abstract

Hot and ice-water immersions are commonly used for heterotopic noxious counter-stimulation (HNCS) in investigations on endogenous pain modulation. However, coincident sympathetic thermoregulatory activity does not allow to differentiate between perceptual hypoalgesia related to baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) or diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC). The present study analysed the internal validity of another supposedly less confounded tonic pain model (inter-digital web pinching; IWP) regarding its potential as DNIC trigger. We performed a randomized controlled study in 24 healthy gender-matched drug-free volunteers aged 21–54 (median 25) years. The study protocol comprised the assessment of mechanical and thermal perceptual wind-up before and after an IWP (15 N) or hot water immersion trial (HIT; 47.5 °C) of 2 min duration. Wind-up was induced either by 10 repetitive (1 Hz) contact heat (max. 49 °C; 5 × 5 mm thermode) or ballistic impact stimuli (0.5 g at 9 m/s) on the phalanges of the non-dominant hand. Cardiovascular activity, pain experience and corrugator muscle activity were continuously monitored. Although both HNCS forms produced a similar pain experience (45% of scale), a more pronounced cardiovascular activity was observable for the HIT ( P < 0.01). This indicates a higher baroreceptor activity and stronger contamination of painful water immersion by BRS-related hypoalgesia. Regardless of pain modality, wind-up was significantly reduced by HNCS, although this was stronger for painful water immersion than for noxious pinching ( P < 0.01). The HNCS types allow a differentiation between BRS-related and DNIC-like hypoalgesia. IWP proved its validity for DNIC induction, being practically non-confounded by BRS.