Richardson Elizabeth J, Richards J Scott, Stewart Christopher C, Ness Timothy J
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil. 2012 Spring;18(2):101-5. doi: 10.1310/sci1802-101.
One factor affecting spinal cord injury (SCI)-related pain may be nicotine. Case reports have described a worsening of neuropathic pain from smoking and relief from abstinence. Neurobiological correlates also implicate the potential effect of nicotine on SCI-related pain.
The current study employed a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design to examine the effect of nicotine exposure on subtypes of SCI-related pain among smokers and nonsmokers.
Whereas nonsmokers with SCI showed a reduction in mixed forms of pain following nicotine exposure, smokers with SCI showed a converse increase in pain with regard to both mixed and neuropathic forms of pain. The exacerbation of pain in chronic nicotine or tobacco users may not only elucidate possible pain mechanisms but may also be of use in smoking cessation counseling among those with SCI.
影响脊髓损伤（SCI）相关疼痛的一个因素可能是尼古丁。病例报告描述了吸烟导致神经性疼痛加重以及戒烟后疼痛缓解的情况。神经生物学关联也表明尼古丁对SCI相关疼痛具有潜在影响。
本研究采用随机、安慰剂对照交叉设计，以检验尼古丁暴露对吸烟者和非吸烟者中SCI相关疼痛亚型的影响。
脊髓损伤的非吸烟者在接触尼古丁后混合性疼痛形式有所减轻，而脊髓损伤的吸烟者在混合性和神经性疼痛形式方面疼痛反而增加。慢性尼古丁或烟草使用者疼痛加剧不仅可能阐明潜在的疼痛机制，还可能有助于脊髓损伤患者的戒烟咨询。
