Burst-like conditioning electrical stimulation is more efficacious than continuous stimulation for inducing secondary hyperalgesia in humans.
(2020) Journal of Neurophysiology — Vol. 123, n° 1, p. 323-328 (2020)
Files
jn006752019.pdf
Open Access - Adobe PDF
- 577.6 KB
Details
- Authors
van den Broeke, Emanuel 
- Abstract
- The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of burst-like conditioning electrical stimulation vs. continuous stimulation of cutaneous nociceptors for inducing increased pinprick sensitivity in the surrounding unstimulated skin (a phenomenon referred to as secondary hyperalgesia). In a first experiment ( = 30), we compared the increase in mechanical pinprick sensitivity induced by 50-Hz burst-like stimulation ( = 15) vs. 5-Hz continuous stimulation ( = 15) while maintaining constant the total number of stimuli and the total duration of stimulation. We found a significantly greater increase in mechanical pinprick sensitivity in the surrounding unstimulated skin after 50-Hz burst-like stimulation compared with 5-Hz continuous stimulation ( = 0.013, Cohen's = 0.970). Importantly, to control for the different frequency of stimulation, we compared in a second experiment ( = 40) 5-Hz continuous stimulation ( = 20) vs. 5-Hz burst-like stimulation ( = 20), this time while keeping the total number of stimuli as well as the frequency of stimulation identical. Again, we found a significantly greater increase in pinprick sensitivity after 5-Hz burst-like stimulation compared with 5-Hz continuous stimulation ( = 0.009, Cohen's = 0.868). To conclude, our data indicate that burst-like conditioning electrical stimulation is more efficacious than continuous stimulation for inducing secondary hyperalgesia. Burst-like electrical conditioning stimulation of cutaneous nociceptors is more efficacious than continuous stimulation for inducing heterosynaptic facilitation of mechanical nociceptive input in humans.
- Affiliations
Citations
Gousset, S., Mouraux, A., & van den Broeke, E. (2020). Burst-like conditioning electrical stimulation is more efficacious than continuous stimulation for inducing secondary hyperalgesia in humans. Journal of Neurophysiology, 123(1), 323-328. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00675.2019 (Original work published 2020)