Blunted Pain Modulation Response to Induced Stress in Women with Fibromyalgia with and without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Comorbidity: New Evidence of Hypo-Reactivity to Stress in Fibromyalgia?

There is evidence regarding the presence of alterations in both the stress response and the endogenous pain modulation systems of people with fibromyalgia (FM). However, research on pain modulation under induced stress on FM patients is scarce and contradictory. The present study analyzes stress-induced changes in pain and intolerance thresholds among FM patients, examining the possible existence of differences linked to PTSD comorbidity and gaining insights into the role of cardiovascular reactivity. Eighteen women diagnosed with FM and comorbid PTSD (FM + PTSD), 18 women diagnosed with FM and no PTSD (FM-PTSD), and 38 healthy women (HC) were exposed to the Social Stress Test task. Pressure pain thresholds and intolerance thresholds were measured before and during stress induction, and after a recovery period, while systolic blood pressure and heart rate were simultaneously recorded. Overall, while pain thresholds decreased during stress and recovery for HC, no significant changes were observed for women with FM. The intolerance threshold decreased for HC during stress, but was maintained at basal level during recovery. FM-PTSD women exhibited a delayed response, with a drop at recovery. For FM + PTSD, tolerance levels remained unchanged. In addition, cardiovascular reactivity did not seem to explain these results. This performance of the pain modulation system seems to follow the same pattern of hypoactive responsiveness under stressors that has previously been observed in FM patients on the autonomic and neuroendocrine axes. Such a hypoactive pattern may involve a non-adaptive response that may contribute to the development and maintenance of chronic pain.

Papel predictor de la rumiación y el mindfulness rasgo en el dolor y el estado de ánimo negativo tras una lesión deportiva: un estudio longitudinal / Predictor role of rumination and trait-mindfulness in pain and negative mood after a sports injury: a longitudinal study

Introducción: La actividad deportiva habitual puede ayudar a mantener una buena calidad de vida, aportando bienestar físico y emocional. No obstante, si dicha práctica no se lleva a cabo de manera adecuada, puede conllevar riesgos para la salud, como la producción de lesiones físicas. Una vez producida, la lesión puede conllevar dolor y alteraciones emocionales. Sin embargo, los factores psicológicos que influyen en su aparición son muy poco conocidos. Objetivo: El presente estudio se centró en analizar el papel predictor del estilo rumiativo y el mindfulness rasgo en el dolor experimentado y en los cambios en el estado de ánimo del deportista tras una lesión deportiva. Material y método: Se realizó un estudio longitudinal en el que se evaluó a 15 deportistas, mayores de edad, que habían sufrido una lesión moderada en los tres días anteriores al inicio del estudio. Todos ellos cumplimentaron una batería de cuestionarios de autoinforme en dos momentos temporales: a los tres días de producirse la lesión y una semana más tarde. Asimismo, durante toda la semana, cumplimentaron un diario de dolor en el que reflejaron la intensidad mínima, máxima y media diaria. Las variables dependientes evaluadas fueron: intensidad de dolor, ansiedad y sintomatología depresiva. Como variables independientes se evaluaron el estilo rumiativo, la rumiación sobre la lesión y el mindfulness rasgo. Resultados: Los análisis de regresión lineal efectuados mostraron un efecto significativo de la rumiación sobre la lesión sobre la intensidad de dolor y la ansiedad sufrida diez días después de la lesión. La depresión fue predicha únicamente por la propia depresión medida en un primer momento, y el mindfulness rasgo quedó fuera de todas las ecuaciones. Conclusiones: Los procesos rumiativos sobre la lesión aumentan las posibilidades de aparición de un estado negativo postlesión, principalmente los síntomas de ansiedad, y predicen la intensidad de dolor experimentada durante los 10 días posteriores. Por tanto, sería recomendable realizar intervenciones que disminuyeran o modificaran tales procesos de manera inmediata a la lesión, con el fin de disminuir la ansiedad y el dolor postlesión (AU)

Introduction: Daily sporting activity helps us to maintain a good quality of life, and physical and emotional well-being. However, if this practice is not carried out properly, can pose risks to health, such as physical injuries. When it occurs, the injury can lead to pain and emotional disturbances. The psychological factors that influence their occurrence are little known. Objective: This study focused on analyzing the predictive role of ruminative style and trait mindfulness in pain intensity and changes in mood after a sport injury. Method and equipment: We selected 15 athletes with a moderate sport injury, produced three days ago. They filled a battery of self-report questionnaires in two temporal moments: three days after the injury and a week later. Also, they completed, for a week, a pain diary in which reflected the average daily, minimum and maximum. As dependent variables were evaluated: pain intensity, anxiety and depressive symptoms. As independent variables: ruminative style, rumination about the injury and trait-mindfulness. Results: The data analysis was performed using linear regression, finding that rumination about the injury was predictor of pain intensity during the week after injury, and of anxiety level suffered ten days after the injury. Conclusions: The ruminative processes about the injury increase the chances of occurrence of a negative state after injury, mainly anxiety symptoms, and predict the intensity of pain experienced after sport injury. It would therefore be advisable to perform interventions that would reduce or modify such processes immediately to the injury in order to reduce anxiety and pain post injury (AU)