Heart Rate Variability in Acute and Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review of Autonomic Function and Pain Mechanisms

Roger Antonio Morais Queiroz

Department of Medicine, University of Gurupi, Brazil.

Gabriel Correia Miranda Nedir

Department of Medicine, University of Gurupi, Brazil.

Sabrina de Araújo Nicoletti

Department of Medicine, University of Gurupi, Brazil.

Maykon Jhuly Martins de Paiva *

Department of Medicine, University of Gurupi, Brazil.

Letícia Mendes de Menezes Teixeira

Department of Medicine, College Afya Palmas, Brazil.

Tomás Ziroldo Rocha Armando

Department of Medicine, College Afya Palmas, Brazil.

Yanna Ritha Clemente Ferreira Sousa

Department of Medicine, University of Gurupi, Brazil.

Letícia Ferreira de Souza e Melo

Department of Medicine, University of Gurupi, Brazil.

Rysia Ellen Murça Andrade Sales da Costa

Department of Medicine, University of Gurupi, Brazil.

Luana Martins Curcino

Department of Medicine, University of Gurupi, Brazil.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.


Abstract

Aims: To investigate the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and acute and chronic pain, focusing on its potential as an objective tool for pain assessment.

Study Design: Integrative literature review.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted through database searches (SCIELO, PUBMED, LILACS, BVS, and MEDLINE) between July 2024 and october 2024.

Methodology: The results indicate a significant reduction in HRV in patients with chronic pain, suggesting dysfunction in the parasympathetic nervous system. In acute pain contexts, HRV also decreases, reflecting an increase in sympathetic activity and a decrease in parasympathetic response. HRV differences were observed based on age and gender, with young adults showing greater autonomic reactivity compared to older adults, and men exhibiting a greater reduction in HRV in response to acute pain compared to women. These findings suggest that HRV could serve as an objective tool for assessing pain, especially in non-communicative patients.

Results: A significant reduction in HRV was observed in patients experiencing chronic pain, which indicates parasympathetic nervous system dysfunction. In acute pain scenarios, HRV typically decreases, reflecting increased sympathetic activity and reduced parasympathetic response. Differences in HRV changes were also noted based on age and gender, with young adults experiencing greater autonomic reactivity compared to older individuals, and men showing more substantial HRV reduction in response to acute pain compared to women.

Conclusion: HRV shows promise as an objective pain indicator, providing healthcare professionals with an additional tool for assessing pain intensity and intervention effectiveness. However, there is a need for standardization in HRV measurement techniques and further studies to explore its clinical applications across various populations and health conditions. Variability in pain induction methods and HRV measurement approaches in the analyzed studies also represents a limitation, highlighting the need for more uniform methodologies to consolidate HRV use in pain contexts.

Keywords: Heart rate variability, acute pain, chronic pain, autonomic nervous system, pain assessment, sympathetic activation, parasympathetic dysfunction


How to Cite

Queiroz, Roger Antonio Morais, Gabriel Correia Miranda Nedir, Sabrina de Araújo Nicoletti, Maykon Jhuly Martins de Paiva, Letícia Mendes de Menezes Teixeira, Tomás Ziroldo Rocha Armando, Yanna Ritha Clemente Ferreira Sousa, Letícia Ferreira de Souza e Melo, Rysia Ellen Murça Andrade Sales da Costa, and Luana Martins Curcino. 2024. “Heart Rate Variability in Acute and Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review of Autonomic Function and Pain Mechanisms”. Asian Journal of Cardiology Research 7 (1):340-47. https://journalajcr.com/index.php/AJCR/article/view/237.

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