Royal Society Open Science ( IF 3.5 ) Pub Date : 2021-01-20 , DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200830 E. N. van den Broeke 1 , T. Vanmaele 2 , A. Mouraux 1 , A. Stouffs 1 , J. Biurrun-Manresa 3 , D. M. Torta 2
Animal studies have shown that high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of peripheral C-fibres induces long-term potentiation (LTP) within spinal nociceptive pathways. The aim of this replication study was to assess if a perceptual correlate of LTP can be observed in humans. In 20 healthy volunteers, we applied HFS to the left or right volar forearm. Before and after applying HFS, we delivered single electrical test stimuli through the HFS electrode while a second electrode at the contra-lateral arm served as a control condition. Moreover, to test the efficacy of the HFS protocol, we quantified changes in mechanical pinprick sensitivity before and after HFS of the skin surrounding both electrodes. The perceived intensity was collected for both electrical and mechanical stimuli. After HFS, the perceived pain intensity elicited by the mechanical pinprick stimuli applied on the skin surrounding the HFS-treated site was significantly higher compared to control site (heterotopic effect). Furthermore, we found a higher perceived pain intensity for single electrical stimuli delivered to the HFS-treated site compared to the control site (homotopic effect). Whether the homotopic effect reflects a perceptual correlate of homosynaptic LTP remains to be elucidated.
中文翻译:
人类伤害感受途径中的同态突触长期增强的知觉相关性:一项复制研究
动物研究表明,外周C纤维的高频刺激(HFS)会在脊髓伤害感受途径内诱导长期增强(LTP)。这项复制研究的目的是评估是否可以在人类中观察到LTP的知觉相关性。在20名健康志愿者中,我们将HFS应用于左或右掌侧前臂。在应用HFS之前和之后,我们通过HFS电极传递了单个电测试刺激,而对侧手臂的第二个电极则作为对照条件。此外,为了测试HFS协议的功效,我们量化了围绕两个电极的皮肤HFS之前和之后机械针刺灵敏度的变化。收集电和机械刺激的感知强度。在HFS之后,施加在HFS治疗部位周围皮肤上的机械针刺刺激引起的感觉疼痛强度明显高于对照部位(异位效应)。此外,我们发现传递到HFS治疗部位的单个电刺激的感觉疼痛强度高于对照部位(同位作用)。同位作用是否反映了同型突触LTP的知觉关联仍有待阐明。