Psychophysical analysis of visceral and cutaneous pain in human subjects

摘要: Abstract Clinical evidence suggests that cutaneous and visceral pain differ in sensory, affective, motivational realms, yet there has been little comparative characterization of these types pain. This study uses psychophysical measures to compare directly sensitivity. Healthy subjects (10 males, seven females, age 19–29) evaluated perceptions evoked by balloon distention the distal esophagus contact heat on upper chest. Subjects gave continuous ratings intensity using an on-line visual analog scale (VAS), reported maximum unpleasantness printed VASs, chose phrases from McGill Pain Questionnaire Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, drew area perceived sensation. For esophageal distention, threshold for was higher than observed unpleasantness, whereas heat, thresholds did not either phasic (10 s) or tonic (36 s) stimulus application. The relative calculated as difference between ratings, during heat; this seen at all intensities stimulation. significantly more affective words anxiety A similar tendency when compared also a wider range describe On-line VAS revealed greater sensation after termination pain; likewise, Finally, led spatially diffuse referred entire chest sometimes back. Our results show is unpleasant, diffuse, variable intensity, independent duration presented stimuli. data suggest likelihood both similarities differences neural substrates underlying