Increased perception of post-ischemic paresthesias in depressed subjects

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research Vol. 55; no. 3; pp. 253 - 257
• Main Authors: Suarez-Roca, H, Piñerua-Shuhaibar, L, Morales, M.E, Maixner, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.09.2003; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Arm - blood supply; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Depression; Depressive Disorder - complications; Female; Humans; Ischemia - complications; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Pain; Pain Threshold - psychology; Paraesthesia; Paresthesia; Paresthesia - psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Regional Blood Flow; Sensory afferents; Sensory impairment; Temperature; Depression; Paresthesia; Pain; Sensory afferents; Noxious stimulus; Sensitivity disorder; Self evaluation; Thermal stimulus; Cardiovascular disease; Forearm; Ischemia; Neurological disorder; Mood disorder; Human; Nervous system diseases; Induction; Induced occlusion; Experimental study; Psychophysics; Blood flow; Tactile sensitivity; Symptomatology; Severity score; Hemodynamics; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00498-1

A psychophysical assessment of sensory activity linked to unmyelinated and myelinated primary afferents was conducted by estimating the intensity of thermal and tactile post-ischemic paresthesias in 11 nontreated depressed subjects (Zung's index ≥50) and 19 controls. Blood flow in the dominant forearm was arrested until ischemic pain tolerance was reached. Ischemic pain and post-ischemic paresthesias were numerically rated. The duration of blood flow occlusion to the time of ischemic pain tolerance was similar in both groups. Thermal (warm/cool) and tactile (tingling) paresthesias were 96% and 57% more intense in depressed than in control subjects, respectively. Zung's depression scores were positively correlated with the tingling and thermal paresthesias. Ischemic pain intensity correlated positively with thermal paresthesias. These findings suggest that depression is associated with enhanced sensory paresthesias that are known to be predominately linked to unmyelinated afferent activity.