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Hormones and their Interaction with the Pain Experience
1Research Fellow, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
Reviews in Pain
|November 4, 2015
Summary
Sex differences in pain prevalence emerge post-puberty, with sex steroid hormones influencing pain perception through genomic and non-genomic pathways. Their complex relationship impacts pain conditions throughout life.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Pain Research
Background:
- Sex differences in pain prevalence are observed after puberty.
- Symptom severity in various pain conditions can fluctuate with the menstrual cycle.
- Sex steroid hormones exert effects in both reproductive and non-reproductive tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the complex relationship between sex hormones and pain.
- To investigate the sites of action for sex steroid hormones in the nervous system.
- To examine both genomic and non-genomic effects of sex hormones on pain pathways.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on sex hormones and pain.
- Analysis of studies investigating hormonal effects on peripheral and central nervous systems.
- Examination of evidence for genomic and non-genomic mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Sex steroid hormones act on multiple sites within the peripheral and central nervous systems.
- Evidence suggests both traditional transcriptional (genomic) and rapid non-genomic effects of sex hormones.
- Hormonal organizational effects can occur as early as in utero.
Conclusions:
- The interplay between sex hormones and pain is intricate and multifaceted.
- Sex hormones significantly influence pain perception and modulation.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for addressing sex disparities in pain.
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