Simultaneous measurement of intra-epidermal electric detection thresholds and evoked potentials for observation of nociceptive processing following sleep deprivation

Abstract

Sleep deprivation has been shown to increase pain intensity and decrease pain thresholds in healthy subjects. In chronic pain patients, sleep impairment often worsens the perceived pain intensity. This increased pain perception is the result of altered nociceptive processing. We recently developed a method to quantify and monitor altered nociceptive processing by simultaneous tracking of psychophysical detection thresholds and recording of evoked cortical potentials during intra-epidermal electric stimulation. In this study, we assessed the sensitivity of nociceptive detection thresholds and evoked potentials to altered nociceptive processing after sleep deprivation in an exploratory study with 24 healthy male and 24 healthy female subjects. In each subject, we tracked nociceptive detection thresholds and recorded central evoked potentials in response to 180 single- and 180 double-pulse intra-epidermal electric stimuli. Results showed that the detection thresholds for single- and double-pulse stimuli and the average central evoked potential for single-pulse stimuli were significantly decreased after sleep deprivation. When analyzed separated by sex, these effects were only significant in the male population. Multivariate analysis showed that the decrease of central evoked potential was associated with a decrease of task-related evoked activity. Measurement repetition led to a decrease of the detection threshold to double-pulse stimuli in the mixed and the female population, but did not significantly affect any other outcome measures. These results suggest that simultaneous tracking of psychophysical detection thresholds and evoked potentials is a useful method to observe altered nociceptive processing after sleep deprivation, but is also sensitive to sex differences and measurement repetition.

A crossover study evaluating the sex‐dependent and sensitizing effects of sleep deprivation using a nociceptive test battery in healthy subjects

“…Those results will be or are reported elsewhere. 20 The trial was registered in the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR number NL7517).…”

Fit for purpose of on-the-road driving and simulated driving: A randomised crossover study using the effect of sleep deprivation

“…This study was performed in young, healthy men who were considered experienced drivers. This population was chosen for pragmatic reasons as a second part of the study included determining the effects of sleep deprivation on evoked pain tests, which had to be initially restricted to a male population [46,47]. Results may have been different if elderly or female drivers had also been included [14,48].…”

The Affective Dimension of Pain Appears to Be Determinant within a Pain–Insomnia–Anxiety Pathological Loop in Fibromyalgia: A Case-Control Study

“…Sleep disorders are present in ~90% of FM patients [ 4 , 5 , 6 ] and are closely associated with chronic pain. People suffering from insomnia witness, similar to healthy individuals under sleep deprivation [ 7 , 8 ], lower pain thresholds [ 9 ] and myalgia (recalling FM symptoms), while chronic pain gives rise to sleep disturbances [ 10 ]. Hence, this bidirectional relation between chronic pain (including in FM) and sleep disorders creates a vicious circle [ 4 , 11 ].…”