Early sympathetic neural responses during a cold pressor test linked to pain perception

Purpose There is considerable interindividual variability in the perception of pain. Given that pain management is a major public health problem, gaining insight into the underlying physiology of these perceptual differences is important. We tested the hypothesis that when interindividual variability in initial muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) responses to a cold pressor test (CPT) is identified, the divergent responses will be linked to differences in pain perception in healthy young men and women. Methods In the supine position, blood pressure (BP) and MSNA were measured at baseline and during a 2-min CPT. Immediately following the CPT, pain was rated (range 0–10). Results Two groups were established: positive responders (Pos, n = 12) and negative responders (Neg, n = 12) based on the initial (first 30 s) MSNA response profiles (Pos: 12 ± 9, Neg: −3 ± 3 bursts/min, P