Psychophysiology and Pain Assessment Core

Although there are multiple UCLA scientists and labs that have expertise and resources in psychophysiology and pain assessment, they have generally operated in isolation from each other and the broader UCLA mind/body research community. The Psychophysiology and Pain Assessment Core brings together and builds on these scientific and physical resources in order to provide a state-of-the-art Core that facilitates the development of: 1) new collaborative studies, 2) integrative hypotheses regarding the association of CNS and peripheral responses, 3) translational research, and 4) training opportunities related to the primary themes of the overall Center. The UCLA laboratories that work synergistically in the Core toward the following aims are the CNS/WH Center Human Physiology Laboratory (B. Naliboff, Director); NPI Psychophysiology Laboratory (D. Shapiro, Director); NPI Startle Research Laboratory (E. Ornitz, Director); and Pediatric Pain Laboratory (L. Zeltzer, Director).

Aim 1. Increase access to knowledge and capabilities in areas of psychophysiology and pain assessment by Mind Body researchers at UCLA. The Directors and Core Faculty work together to increase awareness of the utility of the Core technologies across Campus departments. They also guide potential Core users in the choice, setting and design of psychophysiology and pain assessment protocols and facilitate access to the appropriate laboratory setting. The Core specifically targets the design and collection of high quality pilot data for grant preparation.

Aim 2. Develop integrated and efficient software protocols for use in psychophysiology and pain assessment studies. An important limiting factor on the utility of these technologies is the extensive resources needed to generate the software protocols for running and analysis of each new experiment. During the first two years of Center funding the Core will be developing package software for running standard protocols in each of the Core laboratories.

Services

Although there are multiple UCLA scientists and labs that have expertise and resources in psychophysiology and pain assessment, they have generally operated in isolation from each other and the broader UCLA mind/body research community. The Psychophysiology and Pain Assessment Core brings together and builds on these scientific and physical resources in order to provide a state-of-the-art Core that will facilitate the development of: 1) new collaborative studies, 2) integrative hypotheses regarding the association of CNS and peripheral responses, 3) translational research, and 4) training opportunities related to the primary themes of the overall Center. The Core provides the following primary services

• Assessment of ANS responses in adults, children and clinical populations:
  • Standard surface physiological recordings (heart rate, skin conductance, muscle activity) in both laboratory and mobile setups
  • Beat x beat blood pressure
  • Cardiac impedance measurements
  • Heart rate variability analysis
  • Baroreceptor sensitivity measurement (using blood pressure and heart rate)
  • Ambulatory monitoring of heart rate, blood pressure and activity
    
    
• Assessment of acoustic startle response:
  • Eye blink, heart rate and skin conductance responses to startle
  • Fear potentiated startle protocols
  • Pre pulse inhibition of startle protocols
  • IScan eye gauge attention measurement
    
    
• Assessment of perceptual responses to visceral and somatic stimuli
  • Controlled somatic pain stimuli (heat, pressure, electrical) - including fast thermal for temporal summation studies and fMRI compatible thermal probes
  • Controlled visceral distension with simultaneous measures of pressure and volume
  • Validated rating techniques for intensity and unpleasantness of visceral and somatic sensation
    
    
• Consultation
  • Consultation regarding hypotheses, design and analysis issues relating to psychophysiology and pain assessment
    
    
• In addition, the Core provides the following services:
  • Coordination of laboratory resources to facilitate access to these assessments for mind/body researchers
  • Facilitation of collaborative research in areas of pain, stress, sex differences, emotions and health, substance abuse and eating behaviors
  • Development of new technologies and experimental procedures in psychophysiology and pain assessment (see proposed Core Development Projects)
  • Training and mentoring of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in psychophysiology and pain assessment

Space and Physical Resources
CNS/WH Center Human Physiology Laboratory (B. Naliboff, Director). The CNS/WH Human Physiology Laboratory has extensive resources and experience in experimental studies of human somatic and visceral pain perception, psychophysiological studies of laboratory stressors in both healthy and chronically ill populations (e.g. Irritable Bowel syndrome, chronic pain syndromes, diabetes), and use of psychophysiological assessments in clinical trial designs. Resources of the laboratory include several modalities of somatic stimulation (electrical, pressure, heat) as well as computer-controlled barostats for visceral distension stimuli. Physiological recording equipment and analysis programs are available for heart rate variability, skin conductance, surface EMG, blood pressure, respiration, and continuous subject ratings. Stimulus delivery and recording equipment is built on mobile carts for flexible use in diverse research locations (e.g. GCRC, GI motility unit, brain imaging center).

NPI Psychophysiology Laboratory (D. Shapiro, Director). The NPI Psychophysiology Laboratory has conducted extensive research in basic and clinical psychophysiology and behavioral medicine focusing on cardiovascular and other physiological responses to emotional, cognitive, physical, pain, and aversive stimuli. The lab has performed evaluations of mind-body behavioral and self regulation interventions, including biofeedback, relaxation, and meditation, and studies of relationships between autonomic nervous system functions, emotional states, and personality. Clinical areas have included research on hypertension, depression, diabetes, aging, postural hypotension, postprandial hypotension, occupational stress, gender, and ethnicity as well as studies under pharmacologic challenge conditions (e.g., nicotine, caffeine). The lab has extensive expertise in studies of real time subjective and physiological responses using dairies and ambulatory physiological recording methods. Resources include equipment and associated methods of analysis for the following: heart rate, skin conductance, finger blood flow, respiration, continuous blood pressure (FINAPRES), impedance cardiography, activity (actigraph), heart rate variability, and baroreceptor sensitivity.

NPI Startle Research Laboratory (E. Ornitz, Director). The NPI Startle Research Laboratory is a comprehensive clinical neurophysiology laboratory with the capacity to study a variety of startle modulation paradigms and record the orbicularis oculi and EOG response, as well as the P300 event related potential (ERP), in response to the startling stimulus. Prior and concomitant EMG level, heart rate changes, skin conductance level and responses, saccadic eye movements, and EEG power/frequency changes in response to the startling stimuli can also be recorded. The recording of multiple parameters that reflect aspects of attention and arousal at the time of presentation of the startling stimulus permits assessment of determinants of within subject startle response variability. This in turn facilitates analysis of between subject, i.e., group, differences in startle modulation in experimental paradigms of interest. These include prepulse inhibition and facilitation of startle, fear potentiated and context modulated startle, startle habituation, and startle modulation by shifting attentional states. An additional experimental feature is the online ability to deliver the startling stimuli only when the subject is in a defined psychophysiological state of immobility and alertness. This approach has proven invaluable in recording children and anxious or restless subjects without unacceptable loss of data due to movement artifact, spontaneous blinks, and perturbed EMG baseline.

Pediatric Pain Laboratory, (L. Zeltzer, Director). The Pediatric Pain Laboratory has extensive resources and experience in experimental studies of somatic pain perception in children and adolescents, psychophysiological studies of laboratory pain paradigms in both healthy and chronic pain populations of children and adolescents (e.g. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Migraines, and other chronic pain syndromes), and use of psychophysiological assessments in clinical trial designs, especially in mind-body interventions, such as hypnosis. Resources of the laboratory include several modalities of somatic stimulation (cold pressor, pressure, heat) as well as measures based on real life acute pain stressors such as finger pricks. Physiological recording equipment and analysis programs are available for heart rate variability, blood pressure, respiration, and subject ratings. Stimulus delivery and recording equipment is built on mobile carts for flexible use in diverse research locations (e.g. GCRC, schools, clinic, etc.).

Eligibility and Fees
The Core is available to all UCLA faculty interested and qualified in mind body research. Potential Core users will access the Core through the Director or Co-Director and will be assigned to one of the Core faculty as a facilitator and consultant in study design and Core use. Core use will be reimbursed via recharge on funded projects with a division of the funds between the Core and the individual laboratories involved. Through collaboration and expansion of resources currently available, the Core enables scientists pursuing research related to the Center's primary themes to have direct access to a wide range of methodologies that are not available in each laboratory alone. In addition the Core enables investigators to collect high quality pilot data at minimal cost for use in proposals for funded projects.

Animal Models Core
Health Outcomes Core
Neuroendocrine Assay Core
Neuroimaging Core