Plasma β-endorphin, pain thresholds and anxiety levels across the human menstrual cycle

Veith, Jane L.; Anderson, Julie; Slade, Sue; Thompson, Pamela; Laugel, Gary R.; Getzlaf, Shelly B.

doi:10.1016/0031-9384(84)90065-9

Cited by 76 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…2 a). This is in contrast to the findings of Veith et al [21] and Hapidou and de Catanzaro [22] demonstrating higher thresholds and tolerance dur- ing the follicular period. Furthermore, Kowalczyk et al [18] found no significant changes in cold pain thresholds or pain tolerance during the menstrual cycle.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 96%

“…2 c). Several studies on electrical pain indicated that highest thresholds are likely to be found in the luteal phase [21,25] . The results of these studies were -in contrast to experiments using other pain stimuli -well reproducible.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As our experiments always started on day 1 of the menstrual cycle and were afterwards run in the same chronological order, it is possible that the increasing pain thresholds were due to adaptation during repeated threshold assessments. However, most of the studies have not made use of randomized or balanced orders of menstrual cycle phases [18,21] . Giamberardino et al [26] assessed pain thresholds for the electrical stimulation of the skin, subcutis and muscle tissue over the menstrual cycle and randomized the first phase of testing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Menstrual Variation in Experimental Pain: Correlation with Gonadal Hormones

et al. 2010

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Background: The results of studies examining the response to experimental pain during the menstrual cycle are conflicting because of differences in the definitions of the menstrual period, outcome measures and types of experimental pain stimulation. So far, there have been only a few studies correlating experimental pain with the levels of gonadal hormones over the menstrual cycle. Therefore, we assessed the responses to multiple experimental pain stimuli during the menstrual cycle and computed their correlations with the salivary concentrations of the gonadal hormones estrogen and testosterone. Methods: Twenty-four healthy and regularly menstruating women between 20 and 41 years old took part in the study. Detection thresholds (warmth, cold and electrical current) and pain thresholds (cold, heat, pressure and electrical current) were assessed on days 1, 4, 14 and 22 of the menstrual cycle. In each session, salivary samples were collected for the determination of the physiological estrogen 17β-estradiol, progesterone and testosterone. Progesterone was used exclusively to verify regular menstrual cycling. Results: Significant variations in pain thresholds for cold, pressure and electrical stimuli were observed over the menstrual cycle with the highest thresholds on day 22, except for the cold pain thresholds, which peaked on day 14. There were no such changes regarding heat pain and all the detection thresholds. The correlations separately computed for each of the 4 days between salivary estrogen as well as testosterone on the one hand and the detection or pain thresholds on the other hand failed to show significant levels, except for the coupling of testosterone and electrical pain thresholds on day 1. Conclusions: The pain thresholds for all the physical stressors increased after menstruation. The acrophases were located in the follicular (cold pain threshold) or in the luteal phase (pressure and electrical pain thresholds). The results of our correlation analyses indicate only minimal influences of the physiological levels of gonadal hormones on pain sensitivity in women.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 96%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Menstrual Variation in Experimental Pain: Correlation with Gonadal Hormones

et al. 2010

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“…In animal experiments, and clinical research, it has for a long time been known that beta-endorphin production may increase after painful stimuli [3,15]. Examples of other states where high plasma beta-endorphin concentrations have been found include food deprivation [16], menstruation [17] and psychological stress [18], all of which have also been shown to increase the pain threshold [16 -19].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevated plasma beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin concentration following a radius fracture

Johansen

Winge²,

Reikerås³

et al. 2004

Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation

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Plasma beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin concentration was assessed soon after a fracture. Blood samples from 14 patients with radius fractures were obtained from both arms soon after admission to the hospital (mean 245 min) after the accident. Follow-up samples were taken after healing of the fractures. Higher plasma beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin concentrations were found in blood samples taken soon after a fracture in both arms compared with the concentrations after healing of the fracture. At admission, mean beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin concentrations in the fractured and the contralateral arms were 12.7 pmol/L and 13.2 pmol/L, and after recovery 11.1 pmol/L and 11.5 pmol/L (p = 0.012 and p = 0.041), respectively. The pain decreased according to the visual analogue scale (VAS) (0-10) from 4.64 at admission to 0.58 after healing (p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study showed that beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin concentrations are increased in both arms following a radius fracture compared to the level after the fracture has healed.

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“…Veith et al (35) compared the five menstrual phases and found no significant difference in eumenorrheic women. Tedford et al (36) observed lower thresholds during the phases associated with lower plasma hormonal concentrations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of sensitivity, motor and pain thresholds across the menstrual cycle through medium-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

Barbosa¹,

Guirro²,

Nunes³

2013

Clinics

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OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to identify variations in nervous thresholds in different phases of the menstrual cycle in eumenorrheic women and users of oral contraceptives.METHOD:An observational study was performed including 56 volunteers, consisting of 30 eumenorrheic women who were non-users of oral contraceptives and 26 users of oral contraceptives. An electrical stimulator was employed to assess their nervous thresholds, with pulses applied at a fixed frequency of 2,500 Hz, modulated at 50 Hz, with phase variances of 20 μs, 50 μs and 100 μs. Sensitivity, motor and pain thresholds were evaluated during five menstrual cycle phases: phase 1 - menstrual, phase 2 - follicular, phase 3 - ovulatory, phase 4 - luteal and phase 5 - premenstrual.RESULTS:The results indicated low sensitivity thresholds of 100 μs for non-users of oral contraceptives and 50 μs for oral contraceptive users in phase 5. Low motor thresholds of 20 μs, 50 μs and 100 μs were observed for non-users of oral contraceptives in phase 5, while that of oral contraceptive users was 100 μs. Finally, a low pain threshold of 100 μs was observed in phase 5, but only in the oral contraceptive group.CONCLUSION:Nervous thresholds vary systematically across the phases of the menstrual cycle, with or without the use of oral contraceptives. These variations should be taken into account during research performed in women.

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Plasma β-endorphin, pain thresholds and anxiety levels across the human menstrual cycle

Cited by 76 publications

References 15 publications

Menstrual Variation in Experimental Pain: Correlation with Gonadal Hormones

Menstrual Variation in Experimental Pain: Correlation with Gonadal Hormones

Elevated plasma beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin concentration following a radius fracture

Evaluation of sensitivity, motor and pain thresholds across the menstrual cycle through medium-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

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