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Backgrounds and aims: Many genetic, environmental and psychological factors contribute to the individual differences in pain sensation. Growing number of studies are examining the relationship between optimism and pain, focusing on either pain threshold or pain tolerance. The aim of this study was to determine the association between dispositional optimism and mechanical pain measures in experimental conditions. Methods: In this cross-sectional study we included 2446 examinees from 3 settlements within the 10, 001 Dalmatians study, Croatia. We measured pain threshold (minimal pain stimulus intensity perceived) and pain tolerance (maximum tolerable stimulus) using Algometer (Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, CT, USA) on the index finger of both hands. Self-reported optimism related to personal future was assessed using a Likert scale (range 0-10 ; higher number denotes higher level of optimism), validated against the LOT-R questionnaire (Cronbach α=0.822). We performed multiple linear regression analysis to examine the association between optimism and mechanical pain measures. Results: Optimism was significantly associated with pain tolerance on both right (β=0.480, p=0.025) and left hand (β=0.564, p=0.013) but not with pain threshold either on right (β=0.07, p=0.638) or left hand (β=0.041, p=0.776) while controlling for sex, age, BMI, mental distress, years of schooling, comorbidity and cohort. Conclusions: Study shows that optimism is significantly associated with pain tolerance but not with pain threshold. This result indicates the existence of different underlying mechanisms of the two traits ; hence pain tolerance is under greater influence of psychological factors. Funding: EFIC-Gruenenthal Research Grant 2011 to OP1, Medical Research Council UK, Croatian Science Foundation grant 8875 |
