Sex differences in experimental measures of pain sensitivity and endogenous pain inhibition.
Sex differences in experimental measures of pain sensitivity and endogenous pain inhibition.
复制标题
DOI：
10.2147/jpr.s84607
复制
发表时间：
2015
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Goodin BR
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bulls HW;Freeman EL;Anderson AJ;Robbins MT;Ness TJ;Goodin BR
有人认为，与男性相比，女性慢性疼痛的患病率和严重程度更高，至少部分原因是疼痛敏感性增加和内源性疼痛抑制过程的破坏。然而，以前针对这一主题的研究得出了不同的结果。这项研究使用定量感觉测试（QST）检查了疼痛敏感性和抑制的性别差异，同时还考虑了其他重要因素的影响，如抑郁症状和睡眠质量。健康男性（n=24）和女性（n=24）均完成了QST组合。该组合包括缺血性疼痛任务（IPT），其使用次最大努力止血带程序以及条件性疼痛调节（CPM）程序评估内源性疼痛抑制。在QST之前，参与者完成了流行病学研究中心抑郁量表和匹兹堡睡眠质量指数。分析显示，缺血性疼痛任务和条件性疼痛调制程序的性别差异显着，如女性耐受缺血性疼痛的时间较短，表现出较低的疼痛抑制与男性相比。即使考虑到抑郁症状和睡眠质量的性别差异，这一点仍然成立。这项研究的结果表明，女性可能是更敏感的疼痛，并拥有较低的有效的内源性疼痛抑制能力与男性相比。降低女性疼痛敏感性和增强疼痛抑制的干预措施是否最终改善了她们的临床疼痛结局，是一个值得未来进一步关注的研究领域。
It has been suggested that increased pain sensitivity and disruption of endogenous pain inhibitory processes may account, at least in part, for the greater prevalence and severity of chronic pain in women compared to men. However, previous studies addressing this topic have produced mixed findings. This study examined sex differences in pain sensitivity and inhibition using quantitative sensory testing (QST), while also considering the influence of other important factors such as depressive symptoms and sleep quality. Healthy men (n=24) and women (n=24) each completed a QST battery. This battery included an ischemic pain task (IPT) that used a submaximal effort tourniquet procedure as well as a conditioned pain modulation (CPM) procedure for the assessment of endogenous pain inhibition. Prior to QST, participants completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Analyses revealed significant sex differences for the ischemic pain task and the conditioned pain modulation procedure, such that women tolerated the ischemic pain for a shorter amount of time and demonstrated less pain inhibition compared with men. This remained true even when accounting for sex differences in depressive symptoms and sleep quality. The results of this study suggest that women may be more pain sensitive and possess less-efficient endogenous pain inhibitory capacity compared with men. Whether interventions that decrease pain sensitivity and enhance pain inhibition in women ultimately improve their clinical pain outcomes is an area of research that deserves additional attention in the future.