Effects of Gender, Genetics, and Sensitization on Pain
Author Information
Author(s): Alexandra Doehring, Nele Küsener, Karin Flühr, Till J. Neddermeyer, Gaby Schneider, Jörn Lötsch
Primary Institution: Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Hypothesis
What are the effects of gender, genetic variants, and sensitization procedures on pain thresholds?
Conclusion
Sensitization, gender, and genetic variants produce effects on pain in the order of their effect sizes.
Supporting Evidence
- Gender produced larger effect sizes than most genetic variants.
- Sensitization by capsaicin explained up to 63% of the total variance in pain thresholds.
- The TRPA1 haplotype explained >5% of the variance in electrical pain thresholds.
- Women showed higher pain sensitivity than men across various stimuli.
- Genetic factors explained 0-5.9% of the variance in pain thresholds.
Takeaway
This study looked at how different things like being a boy or a girl, your genes, and special treatments can change how much pain you feel.
Methodology
The study analyzed pain thresholds to various stimuli in 125 subjects, examining the effects of gender, genetic variants, and sensitization procedures.
Limitations
The study focused on common genetic variants and may not account for all genetic influences on pain.
Participant Demographics
125 unrelated healthy Caucasian volunteers (69 men, 56 women, aged 18 to 46 years, mean 25±4.4 years)
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.006
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website