Different Brain Activation Patterns to Pain and Pain-related Unpleasantness during the Menstrual Cycle

Choi, Jae Chan; Park, Soo Young; Kim, Yun-Hee; Shin, Yong-il; Kwon, Jun Soo; Kim, Jin-Soo; Kim, Ji-Woong; Kim, Soon Yul; Kim, Tae Hyun; Lee, Moo Sam

doi:10.1097/00000542-200607000-00021

Cited by 60 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Medications were discontinued for one dosing interval. Note that most of the subjects were women, and all premenopausal women were scanned during their mid-follicular phase (days 5-7) of their menstrual cycle, since studies suggest that the variation in pain sensitivity across the menstrual phase is lowest at this time (33) and more consistent with responses in men.…”

Section: Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human cerebellar responses to brush and heat stimuli in healthy and neuropathic pain subjects

et al. 2008

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Though human pain imaging studies almost always demonstrate activation in the cerebellum, the role of the cerebellum in pain function is not well understood. Here we present results from two studies on the effects of noxious thermal heat and brush applied to the right side of the face in a group of healthy subjects (Group I) and a group of patients with neuropathic pain (Group II) who are more sensitive to both thermal and mechanical stimuli. Statistically significant activations and volumes of activations were defined in the cerebellum. Activated cerebellar structures were identified by colocalization of fMRI activation with the 'MRI Atlas of the Human Cerebellum'. Functional data (obtained using a 3T magnet) were defined in terms of maximum voxels and volume of activation in the cerebellum. Volume maps were then mapped onto two millimeter serial slices taken through the cerebellum in order to identify activation within regions defined by the activation volume. The data indicate that different regions of the cerebellum are involved in acute and chronic pain processing. Heat produces greater contralateral activation compared with brush, while brush resulted in more ipsilateral/bilateral cerebellar activation. Further, innocuous brush stimuli in healthy subjects produced decreased cerebellar activation in lobules concerned with somatosensory processing. The data also suggest a dichotomy of innocuous stimuli/sensorimotor cerebellum activation versus noxious experience/cognitive/limbic cerebellum activation. These results lead us to propose that the cerebellum may modulate the emotional and cognitive experience that distinguishes the perception of pain from the appreciation of innocuous sensory stimulation.

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Section: Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human cerebellar responses to brush and heat stimuli in healthy and neuropathic pain subjects

et al. 2008

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“…In addition to the actions of progesterone on intracellular and membrane-bound receptors, progesterone can be metabolized to a number of neuroactive steroids. Reports have demonstrated roles for progesterone or its metabolites in a variety of scenarios including pain perception (Choi et al, 2006;Frye et al, 2004), anxiety (Löfgren et al, 2006;Smith et al, 2004Smith et al, ,2006, learning and memory (Djebaili et al, 2004), seizure susceptibility (Belelli et al, 1989;Finn & Gee, 1994;Hsu & Smith, 2003;Kokate et al, 1994Kokate et al, ,1996, depression (Rasmusson et al, 2006), and alcohol dependence (Cagetti et al, 2004;Devaud et al, 1996;Finn et al, 2004aFinn et al, ,2004bFinn et al, ,2006b). …”

Section: Nih Public Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhibition of progesterone metabolism mimics the effect of progesterone withdrawal on forced swim test immobility

Beckley¹,

Finn²

2007

Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior

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Withdrawal from high levels of progesterone in rodents has been proposed as a model for premenstrual syndrome or postpartum depression. Forced swim test (FST) immobility, used to model depression, was assessed in intact female DBA/2J mice following progesterone withdrawal (PWD) or treatment with the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride. Following 5 daily progesterone injections (5 mg/kg IP) FST immobility increased only in mice withdrawn for 3 days (p < .05). In another experiment, 3 days of PWD significantly decreased levels of progesterone compared to 0 days of withdrawal, but progesterone levels at 3 days of PWD did not differ from vehicle-treated controls. In a final study, mice received daily injections of progesterone (5 mg/kg IP) for 8 days, with 0 mg/ kg, 50 mg/kg, or 100 mg/kg finasteride co-administered for the last three days. Mice that received 100 mg/kg finasteride, but not 50 mg/kg finasteride, displayed increased FST immobility. PWD and finasteride treatment, both of which reduce allopregnanolone levels, were associated with increased FST immobility in female DBA/2J mice. These findings suggest that decreased levels of the GABAergic neurosteroid allopregnanolone contributes to symptoms of PWD. Future studies of PWD may provide information about human conditions that are associated with hormone changes such as premenstrual syndrome or postpartum depression. KeywordsDepression; premenstrual syndrome; postpartum depression; progesterone withdrawal; behavioral despair; GABA-A receptor; allopregnanolone; finasteride Beginning in adolescence, females experience affective disorders at higher rates than males, partially due to sex-specific disorders such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and postpartum depression (McGrath et al., 1990,Steiner et al., 2003. Progesterone secretion is dramatically reduced prior to menstruation or following childbirth. These periods of progesterone clearance have been called "progesterone withdrawal" (PWD), and are associated with dynamic (but species-dependent) biological events in females (MacDonald et al., 1991). Given the temporal Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. association between PWD and PMS or postpartum depression, studies that elucidate the effects of PWD may lead to increased understanding of these disorders. NIH Public AccessEmerging evidence about the cellular actions of progesterone and its metabolites in the brain has stimulated research regarding neuroendocrine correlates of behaviors. In addition to the actions of progesterone on intracellular and membrane-bound receptors, progesterone can be metaboli...

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“…Further, when pain is induced experimentally in healthy subjects, a lower pain threshold has been found in women during the early follicular phase compared to the luteal phase. 26,29,30 However, Choi et al 31 reported higher ratings of pain in the luteal compared to the follicular phase.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Menstrual Cycle Effects on Perceived Exertion and Pain During Exercise Among Sedentary Women

Hooper

Bryan²,

Eaton³

2011

Journal of Women's Health

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Background: Increasing cardiovascular fitness through exercise participation among sedentary people is important for decreasing all-cause mortality. From an intervention perspective, identifying modifiable factors that maximize the successful initiation of exercise is of utmost importance. For women, cyclic hormonal variations can influence aspects of health and health behaviors, from smoking cessation efficacy to physiological responses to exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of menstrual cycle phase and hormonal contraceptive (HC) use on subjective response to an initial bout of moderate intensity exercise among previously sedentary women (n ¼ 117). Methods: Women completed a treadmill exercise challenge session at 65% of their previously determined maximum oxygen consumption (Vo 2 max) during the early follicular, late follicular, or luteal phase. Participants reported ratings of perceived exertion and pain using Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and CR10 scales at 10, 20, and 30 minutes during the exercise session.Results: There was a significant menstrual phaseÂbirth control interaction on change in RPE [F(2, 111) ¼ 3.75, p < 0.05] and change in perceived pain [F(2, 110) ¼ 3.31, p < 0.05]. Women in the early follicular phase who were not using HCs had significantly greater increases in RPE and increases in pain compared with women in the late follicular and luteal phases. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the use of HC and cycle phase influence sedentary women's subjective response to exercise. These results have important implications for the timing of exercise interventions aimed at increasing exercise among sedentary women.

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Different Brain Activation Patterns to Pain and Pain-related Unpleasantness during the Menstrual Cycle

Cited by 60 publications

References 27 publications

Human cerebellar responses to brush and heat stimuli in healthy and neuropathic pain subjects

Human cerebellar responses to brush and heat stimuli in healthy and neuropathic pain subjects

Inhibition of progesterone metabolism mimics the effect of progesterone withdrawal on forced swim test immobility

Menstrual Cycle Effects on Perceived Exertion and Pain During Exercise Among Sedentary Women

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