Acute musculoskeletal pain is associated with reductions in corticomotor output that persists even after pain resolves. Factors that contribute to corticomotor depression following acute pain are unknown. This study examined whether psychological factors, including pain catastrophising, kinesiophobia, and implicit theories of pain, were associated with corticomotor depression following acute experimental muscle pain. Forty-two healthy individuals participated. Participants completed three questionnaires: Pain Catastrophising Scale, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, and Implicit Theories of Pain Scale. Acute pain was induced into the right extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) muscle by injection of hypertonic saline. Corticomotor depression was assessed as a reduction in motor-evoked potentials measured from ECRB muscle in response to transcranial magnetic stimulation before, immediately after, and at 10, 20, and 30 min following pain resolution. Corticomotor depression was present at each time point relative to baseline (p < 0.001). Higher levels of kinesiophobia were associated with less corticomotor depression 10-min post pain resolution (r = 0.32, p = 0.03), but not at any other time point (p > 0.11). When corticomotor depression was compared between individuals with ‘high’ and ‘low’ kinesiophobia, a similar relationship was observed: Individuals with high compared to low kinesiophobia displayed less corticomotor depression immediately after (p = 0.02) and 10 min post pain (p = 0.02), but not at 20 or 30 min (p = 0.05 for both). No relationship was observed with any other psychological variable (p > 0.15). These data provide preliminary support for a relationship between pain-related fear of movement and corticomotor depression in response to acute pain. These findings may have implications for clinical musculoskeletal pain disorders.

急性肌肉骨骼疼痛与皮质运动输出减少有关，即使疼痛消失，这种运动仍持续。导致急性疼痛后皮质运动抑制的因素尚不清楚。这项研究检查了急性实验性肌肉疼痛后，心理因素（包括疼痛的灾难性，运动恐惧症和隐性疼痛理论）是否与皮质激素抑制有关。有42名健康个体参加。参与者完成了三份问卷：疼痛灾难量表，坦帕运动恐惧症量表和内隐疼痛量表。注射高渗盐水可导致右伸短腕腕radial肌（ECRB）急性疼痛。评估皮质皮质激素抑制是在疼痛消退之前，之后以及之后10、20和30分钟，通过经颅磁刺激从ECRB肌肉测得的运动诱发电位的降低。相对于基线，每个时间点都出现皮质运动抑制（p  <0.001）。运动恐惧症的较高水平与疼痛缓解后10分钟的皮质运动抑制程度降低相关（r  = 0.32，p  = 0.03），但在其他任何时间点均不相关（p  > 0.11）。当corticomotor抑郁用“高”和“低” kinesiophobia个体之间比较时，观察到类似的关系：以高的个体相比低kinesiophobia立即后（显示更少corticomotor抑郁p  = 0.02）和10分钟后疼痛（p  = 0.02 ），但不是在20或30分钟时（ 两者均为p = 0.05）。没有观察到与任何其他心理变量的关系（p > 0.15）。这些数据为因疼痛引起的运动恐惧与对急性疼痛做出反应的皮质运动抑制之间的关系提供了初步支持。这些发现可能对临床肌肉骨骼疼痛疾病有影响。