The hypoalgesic effect of imipramine in different human experimental pain models

In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study, the hypoalgesic effect of a single oral dose of 100 mg imipramine was investigated in 12 healthy volunteers. Test procedures performed before, 3, 6, and 9 h after medication included determination of (1) pain detection and tolerance thresholds to heat and pressure; (2) the thresholds of quadriceps femoris muscle withdrawal reflex to single and repeated electric stimulation of the sural nerve; (3) amplitude of the reflex evoked by 1.5 times the premedication reflex threshold; and (4) continuous pain rating during the cold pressor test.

Imipramine significantly increased pain tolerance thresholds to heat (P = 0.03) and pressure (P = 0.01), and both the psychophysical pain tolerance threshold and the reflex threshold to single electric stimulation (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). On the repeated stimuli, which consisted of 4 pulses given at 3 Hz, imipramine induced a significant increase in the threshold at which the pain summated through the stimulation series (P = 0.03), whereas the increase in the threshold at which the reflex summated was not significant (P = 0.09). Pain detection thresholds to heat and pressure, the amplitude of the reflex to single suprathreshold stimulation, and pain ratings during the cold pressor test were unaltered by imipramine.

It is concluded that imipramine has a differential hypoalgesic effect on different human experimental pain tests. This provides new possibilities of assessing the differential effect of different tricyclic antidepressants on different pain modalities and intensities.