Painful stimulation increases spontaneous blink rate in healthy subjects

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 20014
• Main Authors: Paparella, Giulia, Di Stefano, Giulia, Fasolino, Alessandra, Di Pietro, Giuseppe, Colella, Donato, Truini, Andrea, Cruccu, Giorgio, Berardelli, Alfredo, Bologna, Matteo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 17.11.2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/378/1697; 631/378/2620; 631/378/3920; Adult; Blink reflex; Blinking - physiology; Central Nervous System - metabolism; Central Nervous System - physiology; Cold Temperature - adverse effects; Dopamine; Dopamine - metabolism; Dopamine receptors; Excitability; Female; Healthy Volunteers; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Investigations; Lasers; Lasers - adverse effects; Male; multidisciplinary; Nociception - physiology; Pain; Pain - metabolism; Pain - physiopathology; Pain perception; Pain Threshold; Reflex; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)

Spontaneous blink rate is considered a biomarker of central dopaminergic activity. Recent evidence suggests that the central dopaminergic system plays a role in nociception. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether pain modulates spontaneous blink rate in healthy subjects. We enrolled 1...