Key result
Resting blood pressure and low-frequency HRV were inversely associated with social pain, while high-frequency HRV was positively associated with social pain in healthy adults.
Why the study?
Little was known regarding the relationship between resting heart rate variability and social pain, prompting replication of known cardiovascular and physical-social pain links and exploration of resting HRV.
Cross-Sectional (n=123)
Resting blood pressure and heart rate variability are associated with social pain sensitivity in healthy adults, suggesting shared biological substrates for cardiovascular regulation and pain control.
These HRV-social pain associations are hypothesis-generating; prospective studies needed before clinical consideration.
Resting blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) are linked to physical pain. Research also shows a link between social pain and physical pain, and an inverse association between resting BP and social pain. However, little is known regarding the relationship between resting HRV and social pain. Therefore, the present study aimed to replicate the link between social pain and physical pain, and the inverse relationship between resting BP and social pain, and explore the relationship between resting HRV and social pain. One-hundred twenty three healthy adults completed 1) resting cardiovascular measurements of BP and low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) HRV powers, 2) social pain sensitivity assessment via the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) and Mehrabian's Sensitivity to Rejection (MSR) scales, and 3) physical pain sensitivity assessment via subjective pain responses during cold pressor test. The results indicated that no association was observed between social pain and physical pain, whereas resting BP was inversely associated with the MSR scores. Resting LF-HRV was inversely associated with social pain, whereas resting HF-HRV was positively associated with social pain. These findings suggest that physical pain and social pain may share biological substrates that are involved in BP regulation and pain control.
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Umeda et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy adults (n=123). Resting blood pressure and heart rate variability was evaluated on Association between resting cardiovascular measures (BP, HRV) and social pain sensitivity. Resting blood pressure and low-frequency HRV were inversely associated with social pain, while high-frequency HRV was positively associated with social pain in healthy adults.
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