Differences in Sensitization Between Men and Women After Cutaneous Thermal Stimuli
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Central Sensitisation
- Sponsor
- Balgrist University Hospital
- Enrollment
- 66
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in spatial extent of mechanical hypersensitivity after intervention w.r.t. baseline
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 3 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Many chronic pain conditions show clear differences between between men and women, such as reported pain intensities or treatment effects, with chronic pain conditions being generally more frequent in women. Yet, the underlying mechanisms causing these differences are poorly understood. Central sensitization (CS) is considered one important mechanism in pain patients which differs between female and male patients. The central hypothesis is that already in the healthy population CS processes are more pronounced in women than in men.
Investigators
Schweinhardt Petra
Head of Research at the Department of Chiropractic Medicine
Balgrist University Hospital
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •good general health
- •able to give informed consent
Exclusion Criteria
- •pain complaints for more than two consecutive days over the past three months
- •any major medical or psychiatric condition (e.g. heart disease, major depressive disorder)
- •any chronic pain condition
- •inability to follow study instructions
- •consumption of stimulants, drugs, or analgesics within the past 24 hours
- •scar tissue or generally reduced sensitivity in the designated testing site areas
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in spatial extent of mechanical hypersensitivity after intervention w.r.t. baseline
Time Frame: 10-20 minutes before intervention (baseline) and 20-30 minutes after intervention
Mapping of hypersensitivity in cm2 of sensitized skin area using two quantitative sensory testing tools (256mN von Frey filament and 200-400mN brush) before and after intervention
Changes to the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) after intervention w.r.t. baseline
Time Frame: 5-10 minutes before intervention (baseline) and 30-35 minutes after intervention
Repetitive suprathreshold elicitation of the NWR to monitor its characteristics (such as magnitude and number of responses) before and after intervention