Differences in Pain Perception Between Men and Women of Reproductive Age: A Laser-Evoked Potentials Study

Differences in Pain Perception Between Men and Women of Reproductive Age: A Laser-Evoked Potentials Study

Objective. We investigated differences in pain perception between men and women of reproductive age by using Laser-Evoked Potentials (LEPs). Design, Setting, Subjects. Forty-four right-handed healthy volunteers (19 males/25 females), aged 30–40 years were studied. A CO2 laser generated three series...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 316 - 321
Main Authors: Staikou, Chryssoula, Kokotis, Panagiotis, Kyrozis, Andreas, Rallis, Demetrios, Makrydakis, George, Manoli, Dimitra, Karandreas, Nikolaos, Stamboulis, Elefterios, Moschovos, Christos, Fassoulaki, Argyro
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Oxford University Press 01-02-2017
Subjects:
Adult
Carbon dioxide
Clinical significance
Evoked potentials
Female
Handedness
Humans
Laser-Evoked Potentials - physiology
Latency
Male
Mens health
Menstrual cycle
Pain
Pain perception
Pain Perception - physiology
Sex Characteristics
Women
Womens health
Laser-Evoked Potentials
Genders
Pain
Reproductive Age
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Summary:Objective. We investigated differences in pain perception between men and women of reproductive age by using Laser-Evoked Potentials (LEPs). Design, Setting, Subjects. Forty-four right-handed healthy volunteers (19 males/25 females), aged 30–40 years were studied. A CO2 laser generated three series of 10 thermal pulses (4.5 W) on the radial aspect of the dorsum of the left hand. A recording montage for late LEPs was used, and the potentials of each series of stimuli were averaged to calculate mean latency and amplitude for each subject. Volunteers scored verbally pain intensity (Numerical rating scale [NRS]; 0–10). Three series of 10 numbers were averaged for calculation of mean NRS score. Methods. LEP peak-to-peak amplitude, latency, and NRS scoring were compared between genders, and correlations between LEP amplitude/latency and NRS scores were assessed. Results. Data from 44 subjects were analyzed. LEP amplitudes differed significantly (P < 0.001) between men (24.2 ± 6.0 µV) and women (38.9 ± 15.28 µV), while no difference was found for latency (156.5 ± 8.6 versus 160.4 ± 19.8 ms, P = 0.42) or NRS score (2.6 ± 1.5 versus 2.4 ± 1.4, P = 0.63), respectively. Menstrual cycle phase did not influence LEP parameters (P = 0.59 for amplitude and P = 0.69 for latency) or NRS score (P = 0.95). No significant correlation was found between latency or amplitude and NRS score (P = 0.43 and P = 0.90, respectively). Conclusions. Our results demonstrate a significant gender-related difference in LEP amplitudes with lower mean values in men, while no difference was found in LEP latencies or in subjective pain ratings. Further research is required to clarify the clinical significance of the above experimental findings.
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ISSN:1526-2375
1526-4637
DOI:10.1093/pm/pnw167