Cited by 96Stress Responses and CortisolPain Management and Placebo EffectPain Mechanisms and Treatments

African Americans show alterations in endogenous pain regulatory mechanisms and reduced pain tolerance to experimental pain procedures

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Mechlin, M Beth, Maixner, William, Light, Kathleen C., Fisher, Jessica M., Girdler, Susan S.·2005·Psychosomatic Medicine

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To examine ethnic differences in pain sensitivity and relationship of pain tolerance to blood pressure and neuroendocrine factors. METHODS: Fifty-one African Americans (24 men, 27 women) and 55 people from other ethnic groups (primarily Caucasian; 26 men, 29 women) were tested twice for pain sensitivity to tourniquet ischemia, thermal heat, and cold pressor tests, once following mental stress and once following rest control. Resting and stress-induced blood pressure (BP), plasma norepinephrine (NE), and cortisol were assessed. RESULTS: In response to all three pain tests, African Americans had lower pain tolerance relative to Caucasian/Others after both rest and stress. Only the non-African American group showed the expected inverse relationship between BP and pain sensitivity. African Americans had lower cortisol concentrations at rest and stress and showed blunted NE and systolic BP responses to stress. Only in Caucasians/Others was the relationship seen between higher stress-induced BP, cortisol, and NE levels and greater pain tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that there are alterations in endogenous pain regulatory mechanisms involving BP, cortisol, and NE in African Americans. Such dysregulation may contribute to the greater rate of clinical pain symptoms they experience. It is hypothesized that greater chronic stress in African Americans may be a contributing factor to the alterations in pain regulation.

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  1. [33]Williams JB. A structured interview guide for the Hamilton depression rating scale. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1988; 45: 742-747.
  2. [44]Price DD. Psychophysical measurement of normal and abnormal pain processing. In: Boivie J, Hansson, P, Lindblom U, editors. Touch, temperature, and pain in health and disease. mechanisms and assessments, progress in pain research and management. vol. 3. Seattle: IASP Press; 1994. p. 3-25.
  3. [50]Caceres C, Burns JW. Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress may enhance subsequent pain sensitivity. Pain 1997; 69: 237-244.

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Authors
Mechlin, M. B., Maixner, W., Light, K. C., Fisher, J. M., & Girdler, S. S.
Affiliations
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Corresponding author
Girdler, Susan S.
Venue
Psychosomatic Medicine
Published
2005-11
Volume
67
Issue
6
Pages
948-956
ISSN
0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1973398014
Cited by
96
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 14
FWCI
2.10
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
  • UNC Libraries
Funders
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA13705, R01DA013705)
  • National Center for Research Resources (RR00046, M01RR000046)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Pain Management and Placebo Effect
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
Keywords
African Americans, pain tolerance, pain sensitivity, ethnic differences, blood pressure, cortisol, norepinephrine, psychological stress, tourniquet ischemia, cold pressor test, thermal pain, chronic stress, neuroendocrine factors
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Black or African American, Blood Pressure, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Middle Aged, Norepinephrine, Pain, Pain Measurement, Rest, Stress, Psychological, Pain Threshold, White People

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