Highlights
- •We compared pain perception in patients with major depression and healthy controls.
- •Pain perception was assessed through standardised electrical stimulation.
- •No difference was found in tactile thresholds between patients and controls.
- •The pain thresholds and the pain tolerance levels were lower in patients.
- •Major depression is associated with an abnormal pain processing.
Abstract
Background
Depression and pain may sometimes be related conditions. Occasionally, depression
may be associated with physical symptoms, such as back pain and headache. Moreover,
depression may impair the subjective response to pain and is likely to influence the
pain feeling. Conversely, chronic pain may represent an emotional condition as well
as physical sensation, and can influence both the mood and behaviour.
Aim
To better understand the relationship between pain and depression, we therefore assessed
the pain threshold and the tolerance pain threshold in patients with depressive disorders.
Materials and methods
We conducted a case–control study and selected patients who had recently received
a diagnosis of major depression (DSM-IV), before treatment, and without any significant
pain complaints. Age- and sex-matched healthy controls were also included. Tactile
and pain thresholds were assessed in all subjects through an electrical stimulation
test. All results were compared between the groups.
Results
27 patients and 27 age-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Tactile,
pain and tolerance thresholds were evaluated in all subjects. The pain threshold and
pain tolerance were lower in patients with major depression than controls. All differences
were statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
These results suggest the abnormal processing of pain stimuli in depressive disorders.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 21, 2015
Accepted:
June 22,
2015
Received in revised form:
June 20,
2015
Received:
January 23,
2015
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
