CWP

Objectives: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation is associated with chronic pain. Studying pain sensitivity and the HPA axis could elucidate the role of stress in chronic pain development, which might be influenced by familial factors, including genes. Methods: Associations between pain sensitivity and salivary cortisol and familial confounding in these associations were examined in 88 female, community-based twin […]

Objective: The relationship between sleep quality and pain has been studied in populations with chronic pain and in nonclinical populations using experimental paradigms. Little is known about the familial contributions to this relationship. This study examines self-reported sleep quality and pain in a nonclinical sample and to explore familial (i.e., shared genetic and common family environment) […]

Objectives: Pain is a complex phenomenon influenced by context and person-specific factors. Affective dimensions of pain involve both enduring personality traits and fleeting emotional states. We examined how personality traits and emotional states are linked with clinical and evoked pain in a twin sample. Methods: 99 female twin pairs were evaluated for clinical and evoked pain using […]

Background: There is a dearth of knowledge about the link between cortisol and pain sensitivity. Purpose: We examined the association of salivary cortisol with indices of cold pain sensitivity in 198 female twins and explored the role of familial confounding. Methods: Three-day saliva samples were collected for cortisol levels and a cold pressor test was used to collect […]

To examine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and health perception in adulthood, and to explore the contribution of shared familial factors to these associations. Data were collected from 180 female twins (90 pairs) from the community-based University of Washington Twin Registry. Participants completed questionnaires including the modified ACE Questionnaire, Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire, […]

Background: Systemic inflammation and pain sensitivity may contribute to the development and maintenance of chronic pain conditions. Purpose: We examined the relationship between systemic inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein (CRP) and cold pain sensitivity in 198 female twins from the University of Washington Twin Registry. We also explored the potential role of familial factors in this […]

PI: Niloofar AfariProject Number: 5R01AR051524Project Dates: 9/25/2005–7/31/2011 Chronic widespread pain (CWP) occurs in 4-13% of people and is one of the defining characteristics of Fibromyalgia (FM). Although tender points were originally considered as essential to the diagnosis of FM, it is now felt that they reflect pain severity and distress, and that FM lies at one […]