Pain perception in major depression depends on pain modality

• Published in: Pain (Amsterdam) Vol. 117; no. 1; pp. 97 - 103
• Main Authors: Bär, Karl-Jürgen, Brehm, Stanislaw, Boettger, Michael Karl, Boettger, Silke, Wagner, Gerd, Sauer, Heinrich
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.09.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - complications; Electric Stimulation - adverse effects; Female; Functional Laterality; Hot Temperature - adverse effects; Humans; Ischemia - physiopathology; Ischemic pain; Lateralization; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Nervous system as a whole; Neurology; Pain; Pain - etiology; Pain - psychology; Pain Measurement - methods; Pain Measurement - psychology; Pain Threshold - physiology; Pain Threshold - psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Sensory system; Thermal threshold; Depression; Thermal threshold; Pain; Ischemic pain; Sensory system; Lateralization; Mood disorder; Human; Pain sensitivity; Noxious stimulus; Tolerance; Vulnerability; Hypoalgesia; Hand; Hyperalgesia; Perception; Localization

One frequently described feature of depression is an increased vulnerability to pain complaints, and chronic pain is frequently accompanied by symptoms of depression. In contrast to this, a decreased sensitivity to experimental pain has been described in major depression. The physiological basis of...