Photo Credit: Svetlana
The following is a summary of “Impact of Propranolol and Psychologically Informed Intervention on Pain Sensitivity: Secondary Analysis from the Biopsychosocial Influence on Shoulder Pain Preclinical Randomized Trial,” published in the April 2025 issue of Journal of Pain Research by Bishop et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyse the effect of personalized interventions on pain sensitivity outcomes in individuals identified as at risk for ongoing pain based on genetic and psychological factors.
They included 261 healthy individuals with the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs6269 AA genotype and Pain Catastrophizing Scale scores of 5 or higher. Participants underwent exercise-induced muscle injury and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: (1) general education and placebo, (2) personalized psychological intervention and placebo, (3) general education and propranolol, or (4) personalized psychological intervention and propranolol. Pain sensitivity outcomes, including pressure pain thresholds (PPT), suprathreshold heat rating, temporal summation, and conditioned pain modulation efficiency, were analyzed using a mixed effect model. Comparisons among groups were adjusted for age, sex, and race.
The results showed no significant main effects for group assignment (P > 0.05 for all), whether analyzed as 4 separate groups or as 2 combined groups (propranolol vs placebo or personalized psychological intervention vs general education). Interaction terms were then included in the models for exploratory analysis. For PPT outcomes, interactions were observed between sex and time and race and time (P < 0.015). For temporal summation outcomes, interactions were identified between sex and group and race and group (P < 0.015).
Investigators concluded that while overall pain sensitivity changes did not differ reliably between matched and unmatched treatment groups in this underpowered trial, exploratory analyses suggested potential differential effects based on ethnicity/race and gender.
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