Table 3.
Schematic overview of studies involving fentanyl in human experimental pain models
| Reference | Dose | Model | Findings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acute models | [58] (n= 20) | Transdermal 12.5 or 25 µg h−1 | Electrical and heat (1.4°°C s−1) skin stimulation PTT cold pressor test AUC, peak pain, mean pain intensity | Electrical pain ↔ Heat pain: ↓dose dependently Cold pressor test: AUC ↓ (both doses), peak pain and mean pain intensity (only high dose) ↓ |
| [59] (n= 10) | Targeted iv infusion 0.2 to 1.20 ng ml−1 | Electrical and heat (1°C s−1) skin stimulation PDT Deep pressure, PDT | PDT for electrical and pressure pain ↑ in a dose dependent manner Heat PDT ↔ | |
| [60] (n= 10) | Epidural, 0.03 mg followed by 0.1 mg | Electrical and heat (1°C s−1) skin stimulation, PTT | PTT for both parameters ↑ | |
| [62] (n= 14) | 0.75 and 1.5 µg kg−1 iv | Heat skin stimulation (52°°C, applied as single and repeated taps) VAS Cold skin stimulation (0.3–1°°C applied as repeated taps) VAS | Heat pain (single and repeated) ↔ Cold repeated pain ↓ | |
| [51] (n= 10) | 2 µg kg−1 iv | Dental electrical stimulation VAS, evoked brain potentials | Amplitude (brain potentials) ↓ VAS ↓ |
In the column ‘model’ the method for pain assessment is normal font, and the method for pain induction is bolded. Abbreviations: pain detection threshold (PDT), pain tolerance threshold (PTT), area under curve (AUC), visual analogue scale score (VAS), hyperalgesia (HA).