Anger Expression, Endogenous Opioids and Acute Pain

描述(由申请人提供)：情绪调节在一定程度上决定了个人对身体和心理压力的适应；包括疼痛。以前的工作表明，愤怒表达方式(愤怒)可能通过内源性阿片系统功能障碍与高疼痛敏感性有关。这种生物心理关系的关键因素仍有待探索。两项研究将使用一个实验模型来检验愤怒对痛苦刺激反应的影响。他们将测试：1)愤怒的唤醒是否是充分表达与特质愤怒有关的内源性阿片类药物差异所必需的；2)与高特质愤怒相关的阿片系统功能障碍受到愤怒唤醒过程中实际(行为)愤怒表达的影响。研究1受试者在接受任务前随机接受安慰剂或阿片类药物阻滞剂(纳曲酮)。他们将接受带有骚扰(愤怒诱导)的计算机化迷宫任务，然后是缺血性疼痛任务，或者将以相反的顺序完成任务。显著愤怒x任务顺序x药物相互作用预计将表明，由于内源性阿片类疼痛调节功能障碍，高愤怒具有更高的疼痛敏感性，并且当愤怒先于疼痛诱导时，这种功能障碍最为突出。研究2将对受试者进行高/低特质愤怒的筛查，并在完成任务前随机接受安慰剂或纳曲酮。所有受试者都将接受带有骚扰的迷宫任务，要求他们抑制或公开表达在任务中激起的愤怒；随后是一项缺血性疼痛任务。预计会有显著的愤怒x药物x快递/抑制交互作用，即由于阿片类药物调节功能障碍，高愤怒情绪将具有更高的疼痛敏感性，但高愤怒情绪中的行为愤怒表达将触发阿片系统激活，以抑制愤怒唤醒的影响。该项目将补充和扩展情绪调节的神经体液底物的研究，并将加强对愤怒调节和内源性阿片类药物在压力和疼痛调节中的相互作用的理解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Emotional regulation partly determines individuals' adaptation to physical and psychological stressors; pain included. Previous work shows that an anger expressive style (anger-out) may be related to high pain sensitivity via dysfunction in the endogenous opioid system. Crucial elements of this biopsychological relationship remain to be explored. Two studies will use an experimental model to examine effects of anger-out on responses to painful stimuli. They will test whether: 1) arousal of anger is necessary for full expression of endogenous opioid differences linked to trait anger-out; 2) the opioid system dysfunction related to high trait anger-out is influenced by actual (behavioral) expressions of anger during anger arousal. Study 1 subjects will randomly receive either placebo or opioid blockade (naltrexone) prior to undergoing tasks. They will undergo a computerized maze task with harassment (anger induction) followed by an ischemic pain task, or will undergo tasks in reverse order. Significant Anger-Out x Task Order x Drug interactions are expected to show that high anger-outs have greater pain sensitivity due to endogenous opioid pain regulatory dysfunction, and that this dysfunction is most prominent when anger is induced prior to pain. Study 2 subjects will be screened for High/Low trait anger-out, and will randomly receive either placebo or naltrexone prior to undergoing tasks. All subjects will undergo the maze task with harassment, with instructions to either suppress or overtly express anger aroused during the task; an ischemic pain task follows. Significant Anger-Out x Drug x Express/Suppress interactions are expected such that high anger-outs will have greater pain sensitivity due to opioid regulatory dysfunction, but that behavioral anger expression in high anger-outs will trigger opioid system activation to dampen effects of anger arousal. This project will complement and expand research about the neurohumoral substrates of emotional regulation, and will enhance understanding of the interplay of anger regulation and endogenous opioids in the modulation of stress and pain.