Negative Affect Heightens Opiate Withdrawal-Induced Hyperalgesia in Heroin Dependent Individuals

Authors

Luis Carcoba, University of Texas at El PasoFollow
Arturo E. Contreras, Texas A&M University
Antonio Cepeda-Benito, Texas A&M University
Mary W. Meagher, Texas A&M University

Publication Date

2011

Document Type

Article

Comments

Luis M. Carcoba MD, PhD, Arturo E. Contreras BS, Antonio Cepeda-Benito PhD & Mary W. Meagher PhD (2011) Negative Affect Heightens Opiate Withdrawal-Induced Hyperalgesia in Heroin Dependent Individuals, Journal of Addictive Diseases, 30:3, 258-270, DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2011.581985

Abstract

This study examined the effect of emotion on opiate withdrawal induced hyperalgesia to determine whether emotional states modulate the magnitude of hyperalgesia. One hundred Hispanic men were recruited into one of three groups: heroin withdrawal, long-term heroin abstinence, and control. Participants were presented with pictures to induce neutral, positive, and negative emotional states. Affective valence, arousal, pain threshold, and tolerance to ischemic pain were measured. When pain threshold and tolerance were compared, the withdrawal group displayed significant heightened pain sensitivity when negative affect was induced. The authors also found that former heroin addicts showed heightened pain sensitivity following months of abstinence.