Several days of muscle hyperalgesia facilitates cortical somatosensory excitability

Background and aims: Maladaptive plasticity in neural circuits has been proposed in chronic musculoskeletal pain and has been discussed as a key component of the transition from acute to chronic pain. The induction of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in healthy individuals is one method that can be used to investigate the adaptations of neural circuits in response to several days of muscle hyperalgesia. The aim of this study was to determine the adaptations of the sensory cortex in response to muscle hyperalgesia induced by eccentric exercise of the wrist extensor muscles. It was hypothesized that muscle hyperalgesia would result in a facilitation of cortical somatosensory excitability, based on sensory evoked potentials evoked by electrical stimulation of the radial nerve. Methods: Twelve healthy subjects performed eccentric exercise of the wrist extensors. Muscle soreness, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) on the extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscle, somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) based on 10 channel EEG recorded during electrical stimulation of the radial nerve were recorded before (Day0Pre), 2h (Day0Post), 2 days (Day2), and 6 days (Day6) after exercise. Results: Compared to Day0Pre: (i) Muscle soreness increased at Day0Post and increased further at Day2 (both P < 0.05). (ii) Pressure pain thresholds decreased at Day2 (P < 0.05), (iii) the peak-to-peak N30-P45 and P45-N60 amplitude of the sensory evoked potential from the central-parietal recording sites were increased at Day2 (both P < 0.05); (iv) reduction in ECR PPTs was correlated with an increase of the post-central P45 wave. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that hyperalgesia developing across several days is accompanied by an increase in sensory cortical excitability. In addition, sensory cortical adaptation followed a similar temporal profile to increased sensitivity to pressure (PPTs). This model may be relevant for further understanding neural adaptation in the transition from acute to chronic pain.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Several days of muscle hyperalgesia facilitates cortical somatosensory excitability ; volume:16 ; number:1 ; year:2017 ; pages:169-169 ; extent:1 ; Scandinavian journal of pain ; 16, Heft 1 (2017), 169-169 (gesamt 1)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: De Martino, E. ; Petrini, L. ; Schabrun, S. ; Graven-Nielsen, T.

Further information

• DOI: 10.1016/j.sjpain.2017.04.016
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2024022714155773493514
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:49 AM CEST