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Race and sex differences in cutaneous pain perception
D Sheffield1, P L Biles, H Orom
1Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. sheffdc@medicine.ufl.edu
Psychosomatic Medicine
|August 19, 2000
Summary
African Americans and women reported higher pain unpleasantness and intensity than whites and men. Blood pressure influenced pain perception, with adjustments reducing sex differences but not race differences.
Area of Science:
- Pain perception research
- Human sensory science
- Psychophysics
Background:
- Understanding race and sex differences in pain perception is crucial for effective pain management.
- Previous research suggests potential disparities, but underlying mechanisms require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate race and sex variations in cutaneous pain perception.
- To explore the influence of physiological and psychological factors on these differences.
Main Methods:
- Suprathreshold evaluation of pain intensity and unpleasantness using thermal stimuli.
- Participants included 27 white and 24 African American adults (balanced sex distribution).
- Assessment of blood pressure, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and mood prior to pain testing.
Main Results:
- African Americans reported higher pain unpleasantness and intensity compared to whites.
- Women reported higher pain unpleasantness and intensity compared to men.
- Systolic blood pressure was inversely correlated with pain intensity; adjustments attenuated sex differences but not race differences.
Conclusions:
- Race and sex influence cutaneous pain perception, potentially via distinct mechanisms.
- Sex differences may involve opioid and baroreceptor pathways, while race differences might be linked to unmeasured psychological factors.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interplay of biological and psychological factors in race-based pain perception.