Descending pain modulation in individuals at varying risk for hypertension

Research has demonstrated that people with a parental history of hypertension exhibit decreased pain sensitivity. Lower pain sensitivity in offspring of hypertensives may be related to dysregulation of several central nervous system mechanisms, including descending pain modulation. The present study examined descending pain modulation in 47 offspring of hypertensives and 55 offspring of normotensives by assessing nociceptive flexion reflex thresholds before, during, and after a stressful distraction task. Analyses revealed that participants with a positive parental history of hypertension had significantly higher nociceptive flexion reflex thresholds than those with a negative parental history of hypertension, F(1,98) = 8.53, p < .01. These results confirm previous observations of higher reflex thresholds in offspring of hypertensives compared to offspring of normotensives. Results indicated that men and women did not exhibit significantly different reflex thresholds. Analyses did not reveal parental history or sex differences in the pattern of pain response during distraction. These results suggest that this form of descending pain modulation is similar in offspring of hypertensives and normotensives and in men and women. However, further examination of this pain response is warranted, therefore recommendations are made for subsequent studies.