Journal article

Low mechano-afferent fibers reduce thermal pain but not pain intensity in CRPS


Authors listHabig, Kathrin; Lautenschlaeger, Gothje; Maxeiner, Hagen; Birklein, Frank; Kraemer, Heidrun H.; Seddigh, Susann

Publication year2021

JournalBMC Neurology

Volume number21

Issue number1

eISSN1471-2377

Open access statusGold

DOI Linkhttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-021-02304-7

PublisherBioMed Central


Abstract
Background Human hairy (not glabrous skin) is equipped with a subgroup of C-fibers, the C-tactile (CT) fibers. Those do not mediate pain but affective aspects of touch. CT-fiber-activation reduces experimental pain if they are intact. In this pilot study we investigated pain modulating capacities of CT-afferents in CRPS. Methods 10 CRPS-patients (mean age 33 years, SEM 3.3) and 11 healthy controls (mean age 43.2 years, SEM 3.9) participated. CT-targeted-touch (brush stroking, velocity: 3 cm/s) was applied on hairy and glabrous skin on the affected and contralateral limb. Patients rated pleasantness of CT-targeted-touch (anchors: 1 "not pleasant"-4 "very pleasant") twice daily on 10 days. Pain intensity (NRS: 0 "no pain" - 10 "worst pain imaginable") was assessed before, 0, 30, 60 and 120 min after each CT-stimulation. To assess sensory changes, quantitative-sensory-testing was performed at the beginning and the end of the trial period. Results CT-targeted-touch was felt more pleasant on the healthy compared to the affected limb on hairy (p < 0.001) and glabrous skin (p 0.002), independent of allodynia. In contrast to healthy controls patients felt no difference between stimulating glabrous and hairy skin on the affected limb. Thermal pain thresholds increased after CT-stimulation on the affected limb (cold-pain-threshold: p 0.016; heat-pain-threshold: p 0.033). Conclusions CT-stimulation normalizes thermal pain thresholds but has no effect on the overall pain in CRPS. Therefore, pain modulating properties of CT-fibers might be too weak to alter chronic pain in CRPS. Moreover, CT-fibers appear to lose their ability to mediate pleasant aspects of touch in CRPS.



Citation Styles

Harvard Citation styleHabig, K., Lautenschlaeger, G., Maxeiner, H., Birklein, F., Kraemer, H. and Seddigh, S. (2021) Low mechano-afferent fibers reduce thermal pain but not pain intensity in CRPS, BMC Neurology, 21(1), Article 272. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-021-02304-7

APA Citation styleHabig, K., Lautenschlaeger, G., Maxeiner, H., Birklein, F., Kraemer, H., & Seddigh, S. (2021). Low mechano-afferent fibers reduce thermal pain but not pain intensity in CRPS. BMC Neurology. 21(1), Article 272. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-021-02304-7



Keywords


AllodyniaCRPSCT afferentsHYPERALGESIAPain modulationPleasantness of touchQSTSIGNSSYMPTOMSTACTILE AFFERENTSUNMYELINATED AFFERENTS

Last updated on 2025-10-06 at 11:28