Neural mechanisms for the effect of touch on deep tissue pain

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25871216
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General internal medicine(including psychosomatic medicine); Fundamental nursing
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Nobuhiro 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究員 (00540311)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 骨格筋 / 疼痛 / 心臓 / 交感神経 / 押圧刺激 / 炎症

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Mechanical pressure stimulation applied to the calf alters heart rate in anesthetized animals. The aim of the present study was to establish an assessment method for muscle pain in anesthetized animals by using cardiac function changes in response to muscle stimulation. Heart rate, arterial pressure and cardiac sympathetic nerve activity were recorded during experiments. Heart rate changes (increase and decrease) in response to pressure stimulation of the calf muscles were almost abolished by blocking cardiac sympathetic nerve activity. Additionally, experiments that cardiac sympathetic nerve activity were recorded revealed that nerve activity changes occurred in parallel with heart rate changes. In the calf inflamed by inflammatory substance administration, pressure stimulation-induced increases in cardiac sympathetic nerve activity and heart rate exaggerated.

Free Research Field

自律神経生理学