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Women and men process pain signals differently, according to a new study that has analyzed for the first time the neurons in the spinal cord that transmit pain.
A study published in the journal “Brain” shows for the first time that neurons in the spinal cord process pain signals differently in women than in men. The finding could lead to more and more personalized treatments for chronic pain, which are urgently needed, more so now in the wake of the opioid epidemic.
Although it has long been known that women and men experience pain differently, most pain research uses male rodents.
The new study is important because, for the first time, female and male rat and human spinal cord tissue (donated by deceased people and their families) was used.
By examining spinal cord tissue in the laboratory, the researchers were able to show that a neuron growth factor called BDNF it plays an important role in amplifying spinal cord pain signaling in humans and male rats, but not in humans or female rats. When at female rats had their ovaries removedthe difference disappeared, which points to a hormonal connection.
“The development of new pain relievers requires a detailed understanding of how pain is processed at a biological level,” says Annemarie Dedek of Carleton University and The Ottawa Hospital. (Canada). “This new discovery lays the groundwork for the development of new treatments to help those who suffer from chronic pain.”
This is the first time that a sex-related difference in pain signaling has been identified in human spinal cord tissue.
However, future studies are required to understand how this biological difference may contribute to differences in pain sensation between men and women.
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