International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology
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Int J Psychophysiol · Aug 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialEffects of opioid blockade on nociceptive flexion reflex thresholds and nociceptive responding in hypertensive and normotensive individuals.
Hypertension and risk for hypertension have been associated with reduced pain sensitivity. It has been hypothesised that endogenous opioids contribute to this hypertensive hypoalgesia. ⋯ Neither nociceptive flexion reflex thresholds nor nociceptive responding differed between hypertensives and normotensives during placebo or naltrexone. These data provide no support for the hypothesis that essential hypertension is characterised by higher levels of endogenous opioids in the central nervous system and reveal no association between blood pressure status and nociceptive flexion reflex responses.