Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37315085›Full record

ArticlePloS one2023

Nociceptive withdrawal reflexes of the trunk muscles in chronic low back pain.

Hugo Massé-Alarie, Genevieve V Hamer, Sauro E Salomoni, Paul W Hodges

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. A neuromorphic robotic electronic skin with active pain and injury perception.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  3. Placebo and nocebo effect in pain.Handbook of clinical neurology · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Hugo Massé-AlarieThe University of Queensland, NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury & Health, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4472-9656
Genevieve V HamerThe University of Queensland, NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury & Health, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
Sauro E SalomoniThe University of Queensland, NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury & Health, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7616-9003
Paul W HodgesThe University of Queensland, NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury & Health, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1206-9107
The University of Queensland · AU

Funding

CIHR 358797
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) move their spine differently. Changes in brain motor areas have been observed and suggested as a mechanism underlying spine movement alteration. Nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) might be used to test spinal networks involved in trunk protection and to highlight reorganization. This study aimed to determine whether the organization and excitability of the trunk NWR are modified in CLBP. We hypothesized that individuals with CLBP would have modified NWR patterns and lower NWR thresholds. Noxious electrical stimuli were delivered over S1, L3 and T12, and the 8th Rib to elicit NWR in 12 individuals with and 13 individuals without CLBP. EMG amplitude and occurrence of lumbar multifidus (LM), thoracic erector spinae, rectus abdominus, obliquus internus and obliquus externus motor responses were recorded using surface electrodes. Two different patterns of responses to noxious stimuli were identified in CLBP compared to controls: (i) abdominal muscle NWR responses were generally more frequent following 8th rib stimulation and (ii) occurrence of erector spinae NWR was less frequent. In addition, we observed a subgroup of participants with very high NWR threshold in conjunction with the larger abdominal muscle responses. These results suggest sensitization of NWR is not present in all individuals with CLBP, and a modified organization in the spinal networks controlling the trunk muscles that might explain some changes in spine motor control observed in CLBP.

Indexed as

Low Back PainAbdominal MusclesHumansLumbosacral RegionNociceptionSpine

Identifiers

PMID37315085
PMCPMC10266613
OpenAlexW4380685266

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.