Higher Dispositional Optimism Predicts Lower Pain Reduction During Conditioned Pain Modulation

dc.contributor.authorHinkle, Caroline E.
dc.contributor.authorQuiton, Raimi L.
dc.date.accessioned2018-11-08T00:36:15Z
dc.date.available2018-11-08T00:36:15Z
dc.date.issued2018-09-13
dc.description.abstractOptimism is associated with lower pain sensitivity, positive adjustment to chronic pain, and greater reduction of pain thresholds in a conditioned pain modulation (CPM) paradigm. We hypothesized that participants with higher levels of optimism would experience greater inhibition of suprathreshold pain during CPM. Seventy-seven healthy adults completed a test of optimism, the Life Orientation Test-Revised, as well as measures of depression, pain catastrophizing, and neuroticism. Participants also underwent psychophysical tests of heat pain tolerance, heat pain threshold, and CPM. CPM magnitude was calculated as the change in heat pain ratings when applied alone and simultaneously with painful pressure. Greater optimism was significantly correlated with reduced CPM magnitude (P = .013). Regression analysis was performed using optimism as a predictor of CPM magnitude while controlling for pain catastrophizing, neuroticism, depression, and age. The overall model was significant (P = .003). Significant positive coefficients were found for depression (P = .014) and optimism (P < .001) scores. These results suggest that greater optimism predicts less inhibition of suprathreshold pain, the opposite of our hypothesis. This unexpected finding may be due to factors such as perceived stress and coping differences, and suggests that modulation of threshold-level and suprathreshold pain involves different underlying mechanisms. PERSPECTIVE: This article reports that greater optimism predicts less inhibition of suprathreshold pain, in contrast with previous work showing that optimism correlates positively with pain threshold reductions. These findings suggest that the association between optimism and the function of endogenous pain modulatory systems is complex and differs for threshold-level and suprathreshold pain.en_US
dc.description.urihttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30219728en_US
dc.format.extent10 pagesen_US
dc.genrejournal articlesen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/M2028PH68
dc.identifier.citationCaroline E. Hinkle, Raimi L. Quiton, Higher Dispositional Optimism Predicts Lower Pain Reduction During Conditioned Pain Modulation, The Journal of Pain Available online 13 September 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2018.08.006en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2018.08.006
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/11908
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherElsevier B.V.en_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Philosophy Department
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Faculty Collection
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Student Collection
dc.subjectOptimismen_US
dc.subjectcopingen_US
dc.subjectheat painen_US
dc.subjectstressen_US
dc.subjectstress-induced analgesiaen_US
dc.subjectconditioned pain modulation (CPM)en_US
dc.titleHigher Dispositional Optimism Predicts Lower Pain Reduction During Conditioned Pain Modulationen_US
dc.typeTexten_US

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