• Sheeva Mostoufi, Kathryn M Godfrey, Sandra M Ahumada, Nazia Hossain, Titus Song, Lisa Johnson Wright, James B Lohr, and Niloofar Afari.
• San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120-491 USA ; VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH) and the VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161 USA.
• Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2014 Jan 1;13(1):31.

BackgroundDespite substantial research on the comorbidity of anxiety disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these conditions that might be potentially similar. Evoked pain sensitivity is one factor that has been associated with several pain conditions which might also have relevance to anxiety disorders and PTSD. The aim of this preliminary study was to examine evoked pain sensitivity in PTSD compared to other anxiety disorders and in control participants.MethodThe study used a cross-sectional case-control design in which participants completed a battery of questionnaires and structured interview and underwent cold pressor testing.ResultsOf 61 total participants, those in the PTSD (n =16) and other anxiety groups (n =12) endorsed significantly higher levels of psychological symptoms and poorer health functioning than control participants (n =33). The linear trend across baseline, threshold, and tolerance pain ratings from the cold pressor task significantly differed between participants with PTSD and the other anxiety and control groups suggesting lower pain sensitivity to a standardized stimulus of pain in individuals with PTSD.ConclusionsThese findings are similar to some of the prior research and suggest that individuals with PTSD may exhibit lower cold pain sensitivity compared to those with other anxiety disorders. There is a need for future research to determine explanatory mechanisms.

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