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Pain sensitivity in offspring of hypertensives at rest and during baroreflex stimulation

Journal of Behavioral Medicine volume 14, pages 513–525 (1991)Cite this article

Abstract

Healthy males with a parental history of hypertension (PH+) showed reduced pain sensitivity to a constrictive thigh-cuff pressure stimulus as compared to individuals without a parental history of hypertension. The protocol included eight trials in which a thigh-cuff was inflated until the subject reported the stimulus to be “painful.” The PH+ group exhibited significantly lower pain sensitivity as indicated by (1) higher levels of constrictive pressure when pain was first reported and (2) lower subjective pain ratings at maximum constrictive pressure. To assess the role of baroreflex stimulation on pain sensitivity in these groups, four trials were administered concurrently with external carotid pressure stimulation. There were no significant differences in pain sensitivity in each group as a function of baroreflex stimulation. The results suggest that the hypoalgesia observed in hypertensives may predate the development of sustained elevations in blood pressure.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, 235 Porter Hall, Ohio University, 45701-2979, Athens, Ohio

    Christopher France

  2. Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Blaine Ditto & Perry Adler

Authors
  1. Christopher France
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  2. Blaine Ditto
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  3. Perry Adler
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France, C., Ditto, B. & Adler, P. Pain sensitivity in offspring of hypertensives at rest and during baroreflex stimulation. J Behav Med 14, 513–525 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845108

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845108

Key words

  • pain sensitivity
  • family history
  • hypertension
  • baroreflex stimulation