Papers of the Week

Genetic variation in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is associated with sensitivity to both acute experimental pain and chronic pain conditions. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have traditionally been used to infer three common haplotypes designated as low, average and high pain sensitivity (LPS, APS and HPS) and are reported to affect both COMT enzymatic activity and pain sensitivity. One mechanism that may partly explain individual differences in sensitivity to pain is Conditioned Pain Modulation (CPM). We hypothesized that variation in CPM may have a genetic basis.