Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-Letters: Submit a response to the article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (25)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Curatolo, M.
Right arrow Articles by Arendt-Nielsen, L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Curatolo, M.
Right arrow Articles by Arendt-Nielsen, L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2000, Vol. 85, No. 4 529-532
© 2000 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia

Remifentanil inhibits muscular more than cutaneous pain in humans

M. Curatolo1,*, S. Petersen-Felix2, A. Gerber1 and L. Arendt-Nielsen3

1Department of Anaesthesiology, Division of Pain Therapy, University Hospital of Bern, Inselspital, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland. 2Department of Anaesthesiology, Division of Obstetrical Anaesthesia, University Hospital of Bern, Inselspital, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland. 3Center for Sensory–Motor Interaction, Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, University of Aalborg, Fr. Bajers Vej 7D, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark

In experimental studies, drug-induced analgesia is usually assessed by cutaneous stimulation. If analgesics act differently on cutaneous and deep nociception, the results of these studies may not be entirely applicable to clinical pain involving deep structures. We tested the hypothesis that opioids have different abilities to inhibit cutaneous and muscular pain. Either the opioid remifentanil or placebo was infused in 12 healthy volunteers in a cross-over fashion. Repeated electrical stimulation (five impulses at 2 Hz) was applied to both skin and muscle. Pain thresholds were recorded. Remifentanil caused a higher increase in the muscular pain thresholds than in the cutaneous pain thresholds (P=0.035). We conclude that opioids inhibit muscular pain more strongly than cutaneous pain in humans.

Br J Anaesth 2000; 85: 529–32.

* Corresponding author


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br Med BullHome page
M. Curatolo, S. Petersen-Felix, and L. Arendt-Nielsen
Assessment of regional analgesia in clinical practice and research
Br. Med. Bull., January 31, 2005; 71(1): 61 - 76.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
C. L. Beecroft, S. M. Enright, and H. A. O'Beirne
Remifentanil in the management of severe tetanus
Br. J. Anaesth., January 1, 2005; 94(1): 46 - 48.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
H. M. Schubert, I. H. Lorenz, F. Zschiegner, C. Kremser, M. Hohlrieder, M. Biebl, C. Kolbitsch, and P. L. Moser
Testing of a new pneumatic device to cause pain in humans
Br. J. Anaesth., April 1, 2004; 92(4): 532 - 535.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
U. Eichenberger, C. Giani, S. Petersen-Felix, T. Graven-Nielsen, L. Arendt-Nielsen, and M. Curatolo
Lumbar epidural fentanyl: segmental spread and effect on temporal summation and muscle pain
Br. J. Anaesth., April 1, 2003; 90(4): 467 - 473.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Anesth. Analg.Home page
M. Luginbuhl, A. Gerber, T. W. Schnider, S. Petersen-Felix, L. Arendt-Nielsen, and M. Curatolo
Modulation of Remifentanil-Induced Analgesia, Hyperalgesia, and Tolerance by Small-Dose Ketamine in Humans
Anesth. Analg., March 1, 2003; 96(3): 726 - 732.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.