Does past pain influence current pain: biological and psychosocial models of sex differences.
Previous studies have generally indicated sizeable sex differences for both laboratory pain reactivity and clinical pain reports. Numerous biological and psychosocial models have been invoked to account for these findings, but the laboratory and clinical findings have generally been examined in isolation. This paper reviews data which show a relationship between past clinical pain experiences and current responses to experimentally induced pain. Individuals with a greater pain history tend to show lower pain tolerance. Since women often have high pain experience levels and lower pain tolerance, one might ask whether the two factors are related. We review several models, based upon concepts of neonatal differences in pain reactivity, hypervigilance following early pain experiences, and concepts of peripheral and central sensitization or plasticity which might help to bridge the gap between clinical and experimental findings.
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont., Canada N6A 5C2. rollman@uwo.ca
Gary B
GB
Rollman
Jennifer
J
Abdel-Shaheed
Joanne M
JM
Gillespie
Kevin S
KS
Jones
D000367:Age Factors; D001143:Arousal / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000235:genetics; D010146:Pain / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011584:Psychology; D012727:Sex Characteristics