Sex differences in pain

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. Berkley
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Experimental Setting ◽  
Pain Mechanisms ◽  
Pain Experience ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Situational Variables ◽  
Body Regions ◽  
Second Sex ◽  
Pain Ratings ◽  
Vaginal Canal

Are there sex differences in pain? For experimentally delivered somatic stimuli, females have lower thresholds, greater ability to discriminate, higher pain ratings, and less tolerance of noxious stimuli than males. These differences, however, are small, exist only for certain forms of stimulation and are affected by many situational variables such as presence of disease, experimental setting, and even nutritive status. For endogenous pains, women report more multiple pains in more body regions than men. With no obvious underlying rationale, some painful diseases are more prevalent among females, others among males and, for many diseases, symptoms differ between females and males. Sex differences in attitudes exist that affect not only reporting, coping, and responses to treatment, but also measurement and treatment. So many variables are operative, however, that the most striking feature of sex differences in reported pain experience is the apparent overall lack of them. On the other hand, deduction from known biological sex differences suggests that these are powerful sex differences in the operation of pain mechanisms. First, the vaginal canal provides an additional route in women for internal trauma and invasion by pathological agents that puts them at greater risk for developing hyperalgesia in multiple body regions. Second, sex differences in temporal patterns are likely to give rise to sex differences in how pain is “learned” and stimuli are interpreted, a situation that could lead to a greater variability and wider range of pains without obvious peripheral pathology among females. Third, sex differences in the actions of sex hormones suggest pain-relevant differences in the operation of many neuroactive agents, opiate and nonopiate systems, nerve growth factor, and the sympathetic system. Thus, while inductive analysis of existing data demonstrate more similarities than differences in pain experience between females and males, deductive analysis suggests important operational sex differences in its production.

The sensory and affective components of pain

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Benedetti
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Visceral Pain ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Pain Mechanisms ◽  
Pain Experience ◽  
Affective Component ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Affective Pain ◽  
Affective Components ◽  
Global Pain

Both the sensory and the motivational-affective component of pain must be taken into account in studies on sex differences as well as on neuropathic, postoperative, sympathetic, and visceral pain. In all these cases, therapeutic strategies should be aimed at controlling the peripheral, central, and psychological mechanisms underlying the global pain experience. Similarly, it should be recalled that some neuropeptides act on both sensory and affective pain mechanisms. [berkley; mcmahon; dickenson; coderre & katz; wiesenfeld-hallin et al.; blumberg et al.]

The traditional sexual script and humor in courtship

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-218
Author(s):  
Elaina M. Ross ◽  
Jeffrey A. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Gender Roles ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Sexual Script ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Sex Influence ◽  
Potential Partner

AbstractTo account for sex differences in the production, receptivity, and preference for humor in potential mates during courtship, past research has often adopted an evolutionary approach. The present manuscript will attempt to integrate evolutionary explanations with proximal social and cultural influences using the traditional sexual script and ambivalent sexism theory. The results of both Study 1 (N=227) and Study 2 (N=424) suggest that trait masculinity is positively associated with humor production in courtship, while trait femininity is associated with humor receptivity. Study 1 indicated that the traditional flirting style was associated with less humor production by women, and Study 2 indicated that hostile sexism was related to a lower preference for a humor-producing potential partner by men. A sex difference in humor production in potential partners in Study 2 was no longer detectable once trait gender and hostile sexism was accounted for. Taken together, gender roles, over and above biological sex, influence one’s own humor use in courtship and preference for humor in potential partners.

Unexplored functions of sex hormones in glioblastoma cancer stem cells

Endocrinology ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juyeun Lee ◽  
Katie Troike ◽  
R’ay Fodor ◽  
Justin D Lathia
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Cellular Heterogeneity ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Organismal Development

Abstract Biological sex impacts a wide array of molecular and cellular functions that impact organismal development and can influence disease trajectory in a variety of pathophysiological states. In non-reproductive cancers, epidemiological sex differences have been observed in a series of tumors, and recent work has identified previously unappreciated sex differences in molecular genetics and immune response. However, the extent of these sex differences in terms of drivers of tumor growth and therapeutic response is less clear. In glioblastoma, the most common primary malignant brain tumor, there is a male bias in incidence and outcome, and key genetic and epigenetic differences, as well as differences in immune response driven by immune-suppressive myeloid populations, have recently been revealed. Glioblastoma is a prototypic tumor in which cellular heterogeneity is driven by populations of therapeutically resistant cancer stem cells (CSCs) that underlie tumor growth and recurrence. There is emerging evidence that GBM CSCs may show a sex difference, with male tumor cells showing enhanced self-renewal, but how sex differences impact CSC function is not clear. In this mini-review, we focus on how sex hormones may impact CSCs in GBM and implications for other cancers with a pronounced CSC population. We also explore opportunities to leverage new models to better understand the contribution of sex hormones versus sex chromosomes to CSC function. With the rising interest in sex differences in cancer, there is an immediate need to understand the extent to which sex differences impact tumor growth, including effects on CSC function.

scholarly journals Spatial transcriptomics reveals unique molecular fingerprints of human nociceptors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Tavares-Ferreira ◽  
Stephanie Shiers ◽  
Pradipta R. Ray ◽  
Andi Wangzhou ◽  
Vivekanand Jeevakumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Dorsal Root ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Organ Donors ◽  
Drg Neurons ◽  
Pain Mechanisms ◽  
Molecular Fingerprints ◽  
Sensory Disorders

AbstractSingle-cell transcriptomics on mouse nociceptors has transformed our understanding of pain mechanisms. Equivalent information from human nociceptors is lacking. We used spatial transcriptomics to molecularly characterize transcriptomes of single dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from 8 organ donors. We identified 10 clusters of human sensory neurons, 6 of which are C nociceptors, 1 Aβ nociceptor, 1 Aδ, and 2 Aβ subtypes. These neuron subtypes have distinct expression profiles from rodents and non-human primates and we identify new markers for each of these subtypes that can be applied broadly in human studies. We also identify sex differences, including a marked increase in CALCA expression in female putative itch nociceptors. Our data open the door to new pain targets and unparalleled molecular characterization of clinical sensory disorders.One Sentence SummaryThree A-fiber mechanoreceptor and seven nociceptor subtypes are identified, revealing sex differences and unique aspects of human DRG neurons.

scholarly journals Sex differences in neuro(auto)immunity and chronic sciatic nerve pain

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Linher-Melville ◽  
Anita Shah ◽  
Gurmit Singh
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Nerve Repair ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Neural Firing ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Nerve Recovery

AbstractChronic pain occurs with greater frequency in women, with a parallel sexually dimorphic trend reported in sufferers of many autoimmune diseases. There is a need to continue examining neuro-immune-endocrine crosstalk in the context of sexual dimorphisms in chronic pain. Several phenomena in particular need to be further explored. In patients, autoantibodies to neural antigens have been associated with sensory pathway hyper-excitability, and the role of self-antigens released by damaged nerves remains to be defined. In addition, specific immune cells release pro-nociceptive cytokines that directly influence neural firing, while T lymphocytes activated by specific antigens secrete factors that either support nerve repair or exacerbate the damage. Modulating specific immune cell populations could therefore be a means to promote nerve recovery, with sex-specific outcomes. Understanding biological sex differences that maintain, or fail to maintain, neuroimmune homeostasis may inform the selection of sex-specific treatment regimens, improving chronic pain management by rebalancing neuroimmune feedback. Given the significance of interactions between nerves and immune cells in the generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain, this review focuses on sex differences and possible links with persistent autoimmune activity using sciatica as an example.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Performance of a Clinically-Relevant Dual-Task Assessment in Healthy College Students

Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (14 Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. S33.2-S34
Author(s):  
Nicholas Erdman, AT ◽  
Juliana Jimenez ◽  
David Howell ◽  
Thomas Buckley ◽  
Joseph Hart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Word List ◽  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Immediate Memory ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Clinical Measures

ObjectiveTo determine if biological sex influenced performance on a novel dual-task (DT) assessment which consisted of commonly used clinical measures of sport concussion (SC) in healthy college students.BackgroundDT assessments consist of motor and cognitive tasks administered simultaneously and show promise as clinical measures of SC.Design/MethodsOur cross-sectional study included 60 (53.3% female) healthy, recreationally active college students (age = 20.5 ± 1.34 years, height = 171.7 ± 9.33 cm, mass = 69.25 ± 12.23 kg). Participants completed the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) and timed tandem gait (TTG) test independently (single task [ST]) and concurrently (DT). The revised SAC (45 points) which included a 10-word list was utilized. The TTG composite score was a sum of the average time to completion for each SAC task (3 trials for immediate memory [10-word list], up to 5 trials for the digits-backwards task, and one trial for the months in reverse order and delayed recall tasks). Independent t-tests were used to assess for sex differences for SAC and TTG performance during ST and DT administration. 2 × 2 factorial analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to assess for sex (male, female) by task (ST, DT) interaction effects with effect sizes calculated using Cohen’s d. All analyses were assessed at α = 0.05.ResultsNo sex differences were observed for ST performance of the SAC (males = 37.1 ± 3.45 points, females = 37.4 ± 3.74 points; t[58] = 0.28, p = 0.78) or TTG (males = 44.3 ± 7.09 seconds, females = 46.1 ± 8.88 seconds; t[58] = 0.88, p = 0.38). No sex differences were observed for DT performance of the SAC (males = 39.7 ± 4.50 points, females = 39.2 ± 3.12 points; t[58] = 0.46, p = 0.64) or TTG (males = 52.1 ± 8.56 seconds, females = 52.1 ± 10.28 seconds; t[58] = 0.02, p = 0.98). No sex by task interaction effects were observed for SAC (F = 0.74, p = 0.39, d = 0.23) or TTG (F = 1.1, p = 0.30, d = 0.28) performance for ST or DT assessment.ConclusionsOur results indicate that our novel DT assessment was robust to sex differences in healthy college students which supports the utilization of our DT assessment across sexes without adjustment for interpretation.

scholarly journals Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of family income-to-needs ratio with cortical and subcortical brain volume in adolescent boys and girls

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy S. King ◽  
Emily L. Dennis ◽  
Kathryn L. Humphreys ◽  
Paul M. Thompson ◽  
Ian H. Gotlib
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Brain Volume ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
White Matter Volume ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Childhood Socioeconomic Status

AbstractDeviations in neurodevelopment may underlie the association between lower childhood socioeconomic status and difficulties in cognitive and socioemotional domains. Most previous investigations of the association between childhood socioeconomic status and brain morphology have used cross-sectional designs with samples that span wide age ranges, occluding effects specific to adolescence. Sex differences in the association between childhood socioeconomic status and neurodevelopment may emerge or intensify during adolescence. We used tensor-based morphometry, a whole brain approach, to examine sex differences in the cross-sectional association between normative variation in family income-to-needs ratio (INR) and cortical and subcortical gray and white matter volume during early adolescence (ages 9-13 years, N=147), as well as in the longitudinal association between in INR and change in volume from early to later adolescence (ages 11-16 years, N=109). Biological sex interacted with INR to explain variation in volume in several areas cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Effects were primarily in cortical gray matter areas, including regions of the association cortex and sensorimotor processing areas. Effect sizes tended to be larger in boys than in girls. Biological sex may be an important variable to consider in analyses of the effects of family income on structural neurodevelopment during adolescence.HighlightsSex-specific associations of SES with neurodevelopment may emerge in adolescence.We used a whole-brain approach to examine gray and white matter volume.Sex interacted with SES to explain variation in volume across adolescence.Sex is an important variable to consider in analyses of SES and brain volume.

Biological Sex Differences in Depression: A Systematic Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ainitze Labaka ◽  
Olatz Goñi-Balentziaga ◽  
Andrea Lebeña ◽  
Joana Pérez-Tejada
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
English Language ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physiological Measures ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Language Studies ◽  
Biological Patterns

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and its prevalence is 2 times higher in women than in men. There is, however, a lack of data on sex-specific pathophysiology of this disorder. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the biological sex differences found in major depressive disorder (MDD) in studies published in the last 10 years. We conducted a literature search using the Medline, PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science databases, selecting English-language studies that included physiological measures compared by sex in addition to MDD. We identified 20 relevant studies, which consisted primarily of mixed methodology and samples. The reported physiological measures comprised a variety of serum biomarkers, gene mRNA expression, and brain activity. Findings suggest different biological patterns in those with MDD depending on sex. Specifically, women presented higher levels of inflammatory, neurotrophic, and serotonergic markers and a stronger correlation between levels of some inflammatory and neurotrophic factors and the severity of symptoms. This review provides information about possible different biological patterns for women and men with depressive disorder and may have important implications for treatment. Future research should include homogeneous samples; make comparisons based on sex, control sex hormone fluctuations and pharmacological treatment; and use consistent criteria for evaluating psychobiological changes in MDD.

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