Pharmacological Modulation of Reward-Induced Analgesia

Each participant performed three testing sessions on separate days. Each session comprised a pharmacological intervention and a wheel of fortune game to assess modulation of reward-induced endogenous pain modulation by the interventions. Participants received in one session levodopa to transiently increase the availability of dopamine, in one session the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone to block opioid receptors, and in one session a placebo for control. To ensure complete washout of the drugs, the testing sessions were separated by at least 2 days (plasma half-life for levodopa: 1.4 hrs Nyholm et al., 2012 (link); plasma half-life for naltrexone: 8 hrs [Wall et al., 1981 (link)]). After obtaining written consent in the first testing session, participants were familiarized with the thermal stimuli, the rating scale, and the wheel of fortune game to decrease unspecific effects of novelty and saliency. In each testing session, the thresholding and scaling procedures for individual adjustments of the stimulation intensities started approximately 60 min after drug intake and were performed immediately prior to playing the wheel of fortune game.

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Desch S., Schweinhardt P., Seymour B., Flor H, & Becker S. (2023). Evidence for dopaminergic involvement in endogenous modulation of pain relief. eLife, 12, e81436.

Publication 2023

Block Dopamine Drug Levodopa Naltrexone Opioid receptor antagonist Opioid receptors Pain Placebo Plasma

Corresponding Organization :

Other organizations : Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Zurich, John Radcliffe Hospital, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University Medical Centre Mannheim, Spinal Research

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Variable analysis

independent variables

Pharmacological intervention
Wheel of fortune game

dependent variables

Modulation of reward-induced endogenous pain modulation

control variables

Time between testing sessions (at least 2 days)
Familiarization with thermal stimuli, rating scale, and wheel of fortune game in the first session

positive controls

Levodopa to transiently increase the availability of dopamine

negative controls

Naltrexone to block opioid receptors
Placebo

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