Different Autonomic Responses to Experimental Pain in IBS Patients and Healthy Controls

Background: Pain perception ratings in irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) patients suggest that they present either hypoalgesia orhyperalgesia. However, little is known about the physiologicresponses these patients present to a somatic painful stimulus.Goals: The main goal of this project was to study autonomicnervous system responses and the cardiac response to experi-mental pain in IBS patients.Study: This was addressed by exposing 27 women, 14 IBS, and13 healthy controls (HCs), to a cold water (71C) immersion testof the forefoot for 2 minutes. Pain perception, galvanic skinresponses (GSR), and heart rate (HR) were monitored duringand after the immersion.Results: For comparable pain perception, a significant groupdifference (P