Duration and distribution of experimental muscle hyperalgesia in humans following combined infusions of serotonin and bradykinin

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Bradykinin, published as a clinical trial.

Pain intensity was continuously scored on a visual analogue scale (VAS), and subjects drew the distribution of the pain areas on an anatomical map.

Control assessments of PPTs were done at the contralateral TA and ankle.

Who Took Part

The study group was 10 volunteers.

PubMed indexes the participants as adults, men only.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as single-blind.

In this single-blind Bradykinin study one party knew the assignments and the other did not.

Infusions were given into the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle over 20 s with an inter-infusions interval of 3 min.

Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were assessed with an electronic algometer at the injection site (10 cm below the patella), 2, 5, and 10 cm distal from the injection site, and at the ankle.

Skin sensibility was assessed with a Von Frey hair at the same sites.

What Was Measured

Pain intensity was continuously scored on a visual analogue scale (VAS), and subjects drew the distribution of the pain areas on an anatomical map.

Control assessments of PPTs were done at the contralateral TA and ankle.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Analysis of Variance, Ankle, Bradykinin, Hyperalgesia, Leg, Muscle, Skeletal and Pain.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a single-blind study of Bradykinin in 10 volunteers.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2000 (Brain research), a journal based in Netherlands.

More context: the Bradykinin compound page, all human trials.