Primary motor cortex transcranial direct current stimulation modulates temporal summation of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex in healthy subjects
File(s)Hughes et al., Pain Med 2019.pdf (855.96 KB)
Accepted version
OA Location
Author(s)
Hughes, Sam
Grimsey, Sybil
Strutton, Paul H
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Objective: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) has shown efficacy in a number of chronic pain conditions. Despite attempts to dissect the analgesic mechanisms, it is unknown whether M1 tDCS modulates the central integration of spinal nociception. To test this, we investigated the top-down modulation of spinal excitability using temporal summation (TS) of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR). Methods: In this randomized, blinded, cross-over study, eight healthy subjects received electrically evoked TS of the NWR, which was delivered at 5 Hz at a threshold and a suprathreshold (1.1× threshold) to elicit TS resulting in different levels of pain. Subjects were asked to rate their pain after each stimulation. Changes in the TS of the NWR and pain ratings were investigated following 20 minutes of 2-mA anodal tDCS or sham stimulation applied over M1. Results: Baseline recordings showed that TS of the NWR was induced with both threshold and suprathreshold stimulation. Suprathreshold stimulation was also associated with a higher pain intensity rating. After brain stimulation, there was no effect over the lower-intensity TS of the NWR or pain ratings in both the tDCS and sham conditions. However, tDCS reduced TS of the NWR and associated pain ratings following higher-intensity suprathreshold stimulation. Conclusions: These results indicate that M1 tDCS can indirectly modulate the central integration of suprathreshold nociceptive processing in the spinal cord. It is possible that the analgesic efficacy of tDCS is dependent on plasticity induced within pain pathways following repeated, high-intensity stimulation, which may explain the beneficial effects seen in chronic pain patients.
Date Issued
2019-06-01
Date Acceptance
2018-12-01
Citation
Pain Medicine, 2019, 20 (6), pp.1156-1165
ISSN
1526-2375
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
1156
End Page
1165
Journal / Book Title
Pain Medicine
Volume
20
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2018 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Pain Medicine following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/20/6/1156/5235398
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30535165
PII: 5235398
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Anesthesiology
Medicine, General & Internal
General & Internal Medicine
Temporal Summation
Descending Control
Spinal Cord
Primary Motor Cortex
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
NONINVASIVE BRAIN-STIMULATION
ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION
NEUROPATHIC PAIN
FLEXION REFLEX
TDCS
KETAMINE
SAFETY
RTMS
Descending Control
Primary Motor Cortex
Spinal Cord
Temporal Summation
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Adult
Cross-Over Studies
Female
Healthy Volunteers
Humans
Male
Motor Cortex
Nociception
Pain Measurement
Reflex
Single-Blind Method
Time Factors
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Young Adult
Motor Cortex
Humans
Pain Measurement
Reflex
Cross-Over Studies
Single-Blind Method
Time Factors
Adult
Female
Male
Young Adult
Nociception
Healthy Volunteers
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
1103 Clinical Sciences
1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
1117 Public Health and Health Services
Anesthesiology
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
England
Date Publish Online
2018-12-07