Change in Endogenous Pain Modulation Depending on Emotional States in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: Pain and therapy Vol. 13; no. 5; pp. 1287 - 1298
• Main Authors: Lang-Illievich, Kordula, Klivinyi, Christoph, Ranftl, Julia, Elhelali, Ala, Hammer, Sascha, Szilagyi, Istvan S., Bornemann-Cimenti, Helmar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cheshire Springer Healthcare 01.10.2024; Adis, Springer Healthcare
• Subjects: Anger; Conditioned pain modulation; Emotions; Happiness; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Research; Pain; Pain Medicine; Sadness; Anger; Happiness; Pain; Wind-up; Conditioned pain modulation; Sadness; Emotions
• ISSN: 2193-8237; 2193-651X
• DOI: 10.1007/s40122-024-00642-1

Introduction Chronic pain is a public health issue, leading to substantial healthcare costs and diminished quality of life for sufferers. While the role of anxiety in pain modulation has been extensively studied, the effects of other emotional states on the body’s pain control mechanisms remain less understood. This study sought to explore how different emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, and interest) affect conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and the wind-up phenomenon in healthy adults. Methods This randomized controlled, cross-over trial involved 28 healthy participants aged 18–60. Participants watched video clips designed to induce specific emotions: happiness, anger, sadness, and interest. Emotional states were assessed using a 7-point Likert scale. Pain modulation was measured using CPM and the wind-up phenomenon. CPM was assessed with a hot water bath as the conditioning stimulus and pressure pain tolerance as the test stimulus. Wind-up was measured using pinprick needle stimulators and a visual analog scale. Data were analyzed using paired t  tests to compare pre- and post-emotion induction values. Results Significant changes in emotional self-assessment values were observed for all emotions. Happiness increased CPM (4.6 ± 11.4, p = 0.04277), while sadness − 9.9 ± 23.1, p = 0.03211) and anger − 9.1 ± 23.3, p = 0.04804) decreased it. Interest did not significantly alter CPM (− 5.1 ± 25.8, p = 0.31042). No significant effects were found for the wind-up phenomenon across any emotional states. Conclusion This study shows that emotional states significantly affect the body’s ability to modulate pain. Positive emotions like happiness enhance pain inhibition, while negative emotions such as sadness and anger impair it. These findings suggest that emotional modulation techniques could be integrated into pain management strategies to improve patient outcomes. Further research should explore a broader range of emotions and include objective measures to validate these results. Plain Language Summary Chronic pain is a widespread problem that affects millions of people and leads to high healthcare costs and decreased quality of life. Understanding how emotions impact pain can help us find better ways to manage it. This study looked at how different emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, and interest) affect the ability of the body to naturally control pain in healthy adults. Participants experienced different tests in a random order, like flipping a coin to decide the order. Each participant took part in all the tests to compare how different conditions affected them. We measured changes in their pain perception using two methods: conditioned pain modulation, which reflects how well the body can suppress pain after experiencing another painful stimulus, and the wind-up phenomenon, which measures how pain intensity increases with repeated stimulation. We found that emotions affected the body’s ability to control pain. Sadness and anger reduced the efficacy of conditioned pain modulation, making it harder for the body to reduce pain. Happiness improved CPM, enhancing the body’s natural ability to stop pain. Interest did not significantly change how pain was felt. We also did not find any significant changes in the wind-up phenomenon for any of the emotions tested. The results suggest that positive emotions like happiness can help reduce pain, while negative emotions like sadness and anger can make pain worse. This could lead to new pain management approaches that include methods to boost positive emotions and reduce negative ones.