Baseline heart rate variability predicts placebo hypoalgesia in men, but not women.

cognitive pain inhibition; heart rate variability; pain; placebo hypoalgesia; sex difference; Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; Neuroscience (miscellaneous); Health Professions (miscellaneous); General Medicine

Abstract :

[en] [en] INTRODUCTION: Placebo hypoalgesic effects vary greatly across individuals, making them challenging to control for in clinical trials and difficult to use in treatment. We investigated the potential of resting vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) to help predict the magnitude of placebo responsiveness. METHODS: In two independent studies (total N = 77), we administered a placebo paradigm after measuring baseline HRV. In Study I, we delivered heat pain to the forearm, on skin patches treated with "real" and "control" cream (identical inactive creams). In Study II, electrical pulses to the forearm were modulated by sham transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. We combined data from both studies to evaluate the relationship between vagally-mediated HRV (vmHRV) parameters and the placebo response size, while also assessing sex differences in this relationship. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This revealed a positive association between vmHRV and the degree of pain relief, and this effect was driven by men. These results not only reveal new insights into the (sex-specific) mechanisms of placebo hypoalgesia, but also suggest that measuring vmHRV may be helpful in predicting placebo responsiveness. Given that placebo hypoalgesic effects contribute substantially to treatment outcomes, such a non-invasive and easily obtained predictor would be valuable in the context of personalized medicine.

Disciplines :

Neurosciences & behavior

Author, co-author :

Krecké, Joy; Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

DIEROLF, Angelika ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) > Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS) > Health and Behaviour

RISCHER, Katharina Miriam ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences > Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences > Team Marian VAN DER MEULEN

ANTON, Fernand ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences > Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences > Health and Behaviour

VAN DER MEULEN, Marian ; University of Luxembourg

External co-authors :

Language :

English

Title :

Baseline heart rate variability predicts placebo hypoalgesia in men, but not women.

Publication date :

2023

Journal title :

Frontiers in Pain Research

eISSN :

2673-561X

Publisher :

Frontiers Media SA, Switzerland

Volume :

Pages :

1213848

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpain.2023.1213848/full

Funders :

FNR - Luxembourg National Research Fund

Funding number :

C16/BM/11266318/ACHE

Funding text :

Study II was supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) (grant number: C16/BM/11266318/ACHE). The sponsor had no involvement in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data nor in the writing of the manuscript.

Available on ORBilu :

since 27 November 2023

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