INTRODUCTION: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of the most common chronic pain conditions in pain practice. OBJECTIVES: In the current study, we describe phenotypes of patients with CLBP based on the status of their endogenous pain modulatory system. METHODS: Conditioned pain modulation (a measure of central pain inhibition), temporal summation (TS, a measure of pain facilitation), and offset analgesia (a measure of temporal filtering of nociception) were evaluated in 53 patients with CLBP at painful and nonpainful sites. Next, in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 40 patients with defective conditioned pain modulation responses received treatment with tapentadol prolonged-release or placebo for 3 months. RESULTS: The majority of patients (87%) demonstrated loss of central pain inhibition combined with segmentally increased TS and reduced offset analgesia at the lower back region. During treatment, tapentadol reduced pain intensity more than placebo (tapentadol -19.5 ± 2.1 mm versus placebo -7.1 ± 1.8 mm, P = 0.025). Furthermore, tapentadol significantly decreased pain facilitation by reduction of TS responses at the lower back (tapentadol -0.94 ± 1.9 versus placebo 0.01 ± 1.5, P = 0.020), which correlated with pain reduction (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients with CLBP demonstrated different phenotypes of endogenous pain modulation. In patients with reduced conditioned pain modulation, tapentadol produced long-term pain relief that coincided with reduction of signs of pain facilitation. These data indicate that the endogenous pain system may be used as a biomarker in the pharmacological treatment of CLBP, enabling an individualized, mechanism-based treatment approach.
INTRODUCTION: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of the most common chronic pain conditions in pain practice. OBJECTIVES: In the current study, we describe phenotypes of patients with CLBP based on the status of their endogenous pain modulatory system. METHODS: Conditioned pain modulation (a measure of central pain inhibition), temporal summation (TS, a measure of pain facilitation), and offset analgesia (a measure of temporal filtering of nociception) were evaluated in 53 patients with CLBP at painful and nonpainful sites. Next, in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 40 patients with defective conditioned pain modulation responses received treatment with tapentadol prolonged-release or placebo for 3 months. RESULTS: The majority of patients (87%) demonstrated loss of central pain inhibition combined with segmentally increased TS and reduced offset analgesia at the lower back region. During treatment, tapentadol reduced pain intensity more than placebo (tapentadol -19.5 ± 2.1 mm versus placebo -7.1 ± 1.8 mm, P = 0.025). Furthermore, tapentadol significantly decreased pain facilitation by reduction of TS responses at the lower back (tapentadol -0.94 ± 1.9 versus placebo 0.01 ± 1.5, P = 0.020), which correlated with pain reduction (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients with CLBP demonstrated different phenotypes of endogenous pain modulation. In patients with reduced conditioned pain modulation, tapentadol produced long-term pain relief that coincided with reduction of signs of pain facilitation. These data indicate that the endogenous pain system may be used as a biomarker in the pharmacological treatment of CLBP, enabling an individualized, mechanism-based treatment approach.
Authors: David Yarnitsky; Lars Arendt-Nielsen; Didier Bouhassira; Robert R Edwards; Roger B Fillingim; Michal Granot; Per Hansson; Stefan Lautenbacher; Serge Marchand; Oliver Wilder-Smith Journal: Eur J Pain Date: 2010-03-12 Impact factor: 3.931
Authors: M Valeriani; D Le Pera; D Restuccia; L de Armas; T Maiese; P Tonali; F Vigevano; L Arendt-Nielsen Journal: Neuroscience Date: 2005-09-21 Impact factor: 3.590
Authors: Thorsten Giesecke; Richard H Gracely; Masilo A B Grant; Alf Nachemson; Frank Petzke; David A Williams; Daniel J Clauw Journal: Arthritis Rheum Date: 2004-02
Authors: Kyle M White; Lisa R LaRowe; Jessica M Powers; Michael B Paladino; Stephen A Maisto; Michael J Zvolensky; Stephen J Glatt; Joseph W Ditre Journal: J Pain Date: 2021-12-31 Impact factor: 5.383