March 29, 2022
1 min read

Why men, women process pain signals differently

When female rats had their ovaries removed, the difference disappeared, pointing to a hormonal connection…reports Asian Lite News

Neurons in the spinal cord process pain signals differently in women compared to men, suggests a study.

The finding, published in the journal BRAIN, could lead to better and more personalised treatments for chronic pain, which are desperately needed, especially in light of the opioid epidemic.

Women are disproportionately impacted by the burden of chronic pain. They are more likely than men to report low back pain, neck pain, orofacial pain and neuropathic pain, and twice as many women report common migraines or headaches.

But to date, most research on pain was conducted on male rodents.

The new study led by researchers at The Ottawa Hospital in Canada, however, used female and male spinal cord tissue from both rats and humans (generously donated by deceased individuals and their families).

By examining the spinal cord tissue in the laboratory, the researchers were able to show that a neuronal growth factor called BDNF plays a major role in amplifying spinal cord pain signalling in male humans and male rats, but not in female humans or female rats.

When female rats had their ovaries removed, the difference disappeared, pointing to a hormonal connection.

“Developing new pain drugs requires a detailed understanding of how pain is processed at the biological level,” said Dr. Annemarie Dedek, lead author of the study.

“This new discovery lays the foundation for the development of new treatments to help those suffering from chronic pain.”

This is the first time a sex-related difference in pain signalling has been identified in human spinal cord tissue.

Future studies are required to understand how this biological difference may contribute to differences in pain sensation between men and women, the researchers said.

ALSO READ-Omicron wave accounts for more deaths than Delta surge

Previous Story

Delta variant completely replaced by Omicron in TN

Next Story

Dubai Municipality celebrates Global Recycling Day

Latest from Health

US Quits WHO Pandemic Reforms

Trump Administration Rejects WHO Pandemic Treaty Amendments, Citing U.S. Sovereignty The Trump administration has formally rejected a set of amendments to the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (IHR), claiming the changes

Personalising Parkinson’s Drug Response

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, and its incidence is rapidly rising In a significant breakthrough, researchers from Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Canada have uncovered why levodopa—the
Go toTop

Don't Miss

UAE pushes for women’s economic empowerment at UNSC

UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri chaired

Women stripped and beaten on charges of theft

Soon they began beating the four women, stripped them and