Alteration of shock aversion thresholds during the menstrual cycle

Tedford, W. H.; Warren, D. E.; Flynn, W. E.

doi:10.3758/bf03198725

Cited by 66 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…In contrast, a higher threshold and tolerances in the premenstrual phase have been found by Aberger et al [1983] who used the muscle ischaemia task [84]. It is revealed that that the highest level of pain sensitivity was one week following menstruation (days 1-7), and the lowest level of pain sensitivity was during ovulation (days 15-21) [85]. It is documented that the effect of variation in gonadal hormone levels across the menstrual cycle on female sensitivity to pain was small and had only a minor contribution to gender differences in pain [70].…”

Section: Biological Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Effect of Age, Sex and Gender on Pain Sensitivity: A Narrative Review

Eltumi¹,

Tashani²

2017

TOPAINJ

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Introduction:An increasing body of literature on sex and gender differences in pain sensitivity has been accumulated in recent years. There is also evidence from epidemiological research that painful conditions are more prevalent in older people. The aim of this narrative review is to critically appraise the relevant literature investigating the presence of age and sex differences in clinical and experimental pain conditions. Methods:A scoping search of the literature identifying relevant peer reviewed articles was conducted on May 2016. Information and evidence from the key articles were narratively described and data was quantitatively synthesised to identify gaps of knowledge in the research literature concerning age and sex differences in pain responses. Results:This critical appraisal of the literature suggests that the results of the experimental and clinical studies regarding age and sex differences in pain contain some contradictions as far as age differences in pain are concerned. While data from the clinical studies are more consistent and seem to point towards the fact that chronic pain prevalence increases in the elderly findings from the experimental studies on the other hand were inconsistent, with pain threshold increasing with age in some studies and decreasing with age in others. Conclusion:There is a need for further research using the latest advanced quantitative sensory testing protocols to measure the function of small nerve fibres that are involved in nociception and pain sensitivity across the human life span. Implications:Findings from these studies should feed into and inform evidence emerging from other types of studies (e.g. brain imaging technique and psychometrics) suggesting that pain in the older humans may have unique characteristics that affect how old patients respond to intervention.

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Section: Biological Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Effect of Age, Sex and Gender on Pain Sensitivity: A Narrative Review

Eltumi¹,

Tashani²

2017

TOPAINJ

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“…It is unlikely that the effects can be related to menstrual periods in the female subjects; even if such effects are not balanced by the selection methods, they are generally quite small, about 5 % to 10% of the mean (Procacci, Zoppi, Maresca, & Romano, 1974;Tedford et al, 1977).…”

Section: Gender Differences In Pain Responsivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

The detectability, discriminability, and perceived magnitude of painful electrical shock

Rollman

Harris

1987

Perception & Psychophysics

109

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Thresholds for sensation, pain, and tolerance were obtained from 20 male and 20 female observers who received trains of electrical pulses applied to the volar forearm. Also determined were estimates of sensory magnitude for a series of stimuli that spanned the pain sensitivity range (PSR) between pain threshold and tolerance, as well as Weber fractions for the discrimination of stimuli at the midpoint of the PSR. There were great individual differences in all dependent variables. Females had significantly lower values for all thresholds but did not differ from males in the growth of sensory magnitude or in discriminatory capacity. Power functions, with a median exponent of 1.74 and a mean of 2.39, fit the scaling data well. The results are analyzed for a suggested negative correlation between exponent and stimulus range. The presence of such an effect indicates that electrocutaneous stimulation provides a powerful technique for the analysis of individual differences and the evaluation of psychophysical theories.Electrical stimulation of the skin provides a useful induction method for laboratory studies of pain (Procacci, Della Corte, et al., 1974;Rollman, 1983a; Smith & Andrew, 1970): it is readily graded in intensity, can be turned on and off instantaneously, and produces no lasting physical damage.Past research has typically demonstrated that the subjective magnitudes of the sensations produced by electrical pulses can be related to their current or voltage by a power function with an exponent greater than unity, indicating that the perceived intensity grows at a rate faster than the physical one. The reported value of the exponent of the power function has varied considerably, from near 1.0 to beyond 3.0 (e.g., Algom, Raphaeli, & Cohen- Raz, 1986; Babkoff, 1976 Babkoff, , 1978 Beck & Rosner, 1968;Bevan, 1966;Bromm & Treede, 1980; Bujas, Szabo, Kovacic, & Rohacek, 1975; Ekman, Frankenhaeuser, Levander, & Mellis, 1964Hawkes, 1960; McCallum & Goldberg, 1975;Sachs, Miller, & Grant, 1980;Sternbach & Tursky, 1964;Stevens, Carton, & Shickman, 1958;Tashiro & Higashiyama, 1981). These differences can be ascribed, in part, to the effects of stimulus parameters and correction of the power function for threshold (Rollman, 1974), to the nature and scaling of the physical stimulus (Myers, 1982), to the painfulness of the presentations (Jones, 1980), and to regression and range effects (Cross, Tursky, & Lodge, 1975).Although electrical shocks can be painful, most of the studies cited above determined power functions at levels that were weak enough for the sensation to be described as being tactile rather than nociceptive. Although there This research was supported by Grant AO-392 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to the senior author. Requests for reprints should be sent to Gary B. Rollman, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C2, Canada.have been attempts to obtain psychophysical functions for intense stimuli in several modalities (e.g

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“…Pain thresholds were at a minimum (most sensitive) during ovulation and at maximum (least sensitive) during menstruation. Tedford, Warren, and Flynn (1977) reported cyclic changes in shock aversion thresholds in the opposite direction. Maximum thresholds were obtained during ovulation and minimum, during menstruation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, a rhythm was reported in menopausal women and to some degree in young men. More recently, Tedford, Warren, and Flynn (1977) reported cyclic changes in the pain threshold in association with the menstrual phases. They did not use a traditional pain detection measure.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyclic changes in pain perception: An ROC analysis

Goolkasian

1980

Perception & Psychophysics

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The rating scale responses of three groups of men and women to thermal and painful radiant heat stimuli were studied over a 4-weekperiod. Receiver operating characteristic curve parameters were computed for each of the phases of the menstrual cycle. Women with normal menstrual periods experienced a heightened sensitivity to pain during ovulation. This effect was absent in women using oral contraceptive pills and in men. The findings demonstrate that past reports of pain threshold changes in association with menstrual phase were basically sensory effects and not just a result of shifts in the observer's criteria for reporting pain. In addition, sex differences in pain perception were found only when men were compared with women who were ovulating.The present project reanalyzes the phenomenon of biological rhythms in pain research using the modern psychophysical procedures of the relative operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Evidence for cyclic changes in pain thresholds has been presented in the several studies. Herren (1933) repeatedly measured the 2-point threshold for pain and touch during three phases of the menstrual cycle in women. Premenstrual thresholds were consistently lower than postmenstrual thresholds, and there were no differences found between intermenstrual and postmenstrual phases. Procacci, Zoppi, Maresca, and Romano (1974) report data from a series of investigations with both men and women using the radiant heat method to measure pain thresholds. In women, the pain threshold was found to vary cyclically, reaching a peak at menstruation and a low point at ovulation. For women taking oral contraceptives, the rhythm disappeared. However, a rhythm was reported in menopausal women and to some degree in young men. More recently, Tedford, Warren, and Flynn (1977) reported cyclic changes in the pain threshold in association with the menstrual phases. They did not use a traditional pain detection measure. Instead, a shock aversion threshold was measured in women who had a normal menstrual period, women taking oral contraceptives, and men. The data indicated that only the women in the first group showed significant differences in threshold values among the four phases of the menstrual cycle.Taken together, these studies, employing a variety of techniques, demonstrate a fluctuation of the pain threshold in association with the phases of the menstrual cycle in young women. However, although the I would like to thank JoAnne Wolf and Janet Harrison for their assistance in conducting this research. Requests for reprints should be sent to Paula Goolkasian,

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Alteration of shock aversion thresholds during the menstrual cycle

Cited by 66 publications

References 10 publications

Effect of Age, Sex and Gender on Pain Sensitivity: A Narrative Review

Effect of Age, Sex and Gender on Pain Sensitivity: A Narrative Review

The detectability, discriminability, and perceived magnitude of painful electrical shock

Cyclic changes in pain perception: An ROC analysis

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