Migraine Features and Nociceptive Profile Do Not Influence Conditioned Pain Modulation in Women With Episodic and Chronic Migraine

Pain Res Manag. 2026;2026(1):e8331529. doi: 10.1155/prm/8331529.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of sensitization-associated and neuropathic-like symptoms and clinical features in conditioned pain modulation (CPM) activity in women with episodic or chronic migraine.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study including 70 women with chronic migraine and 70 with episodic migraine was performed. Clinical migraine features (related disability, pain intensity, frequency, and duration) and pain processing variables (sensitization-associated or neuropathic-like symptoms) were evaluated with self-reported outcomes. Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) at the temporalis muscle, lateral epicondyle, and tibialis anterior were bilaterally assessed. Heat (HPT) and cold (CPT) pain thresholds at the frontalis (V1 area) muscle were also assessed. Subsequently, CPM was evaluated immediately after a 1-min cold-pressor test paradigm on changes obtained in PPTs, HPT, and CPT.

RESULTS: No significant group ∗ time interactions after controlling for migraine features, related disability (MIDAS, HIT-6), sensitization-associated (CSI), or neuropathic-like symptoms (S-LANSS) were found for PPTs at the temporalis muscle (Wilk's λ = 0.996, F[1128] = 0.500, p = 0.481, n²p = 0.004, 1 - β = 0.108), lateral epicondyle (Wilk's λ = 0.997, F[1128] = 0.369, p = 0.545, n²p = 0.003, 1 - β = 0.093), and tibialis anterior (Wilk's λ = 0.999, F[1128] = 0.070, p = 0.792, n²p = 0.001, 1 - β = 0.058) as well as CPT (Wilk's λ = 0.991, F[1128] = 1.136, p = 0.288, n²p = 0.009, 1 - β = 0.185) or HPT (Wilk's λ = 0.992, F[1128] = 0.992, p = 0.315, n²p = 0.008, 1 - β = 0.170): no significant changes in PPTs, CPTs, or HPTs were seen after the conditioned stimulus in women with either episodic or chronic migraine. No significant effect of clinical or pain processing outcomes on CPM was seen.

CONCLUSION: This study showed similar CPM activation (lack of) in women with episodic and chronic migraine. Thus, clinical features and the presence of sensitization-associated or neuropathic-like symptoms did not modulate CPM activity in women with migraine.

PMID:42104721 | DOI:10.1155/prm/8331529