Case-control study, 2014
Does past abuse affect pain sensitivity differently in women with menstrual mood disorders?
Yes. Women with menstrual mood disorders who experienced abuse showed greater pain sensitivity and lower stress hormone levels, suggesting abuse affects this group differently.
What they did
126 women (63 with menstrually related mood disorders, 63 without) were tested for pain sensitivity using cold water and arm blood flow restriction. Researchers also measured their stress hormones in blood.
What they found
Women with menstrual mood disorders and abuse history showed increased sensitivity to both pain tests and lower cortisol levels. Higher cortisol was linked to less pain sensitivity in all women. Norepinephrine predicted pain sensitivity only in women with menstrual mood disorders.
What it means for you
Women with menstrual mood disorders and past abuse show distinctly different pain responses and stress hormone patterns, which might explain why they experience more pain. This could help identify who needs specialized treatment, though this is an observational study and larger trials are needed to confirm these associations.
126
total women studied
63
women with menstrual mood disorders
34
with abuse history in mood disorder group
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrually related mood disorders and a history of abuse: moderators of pain sensitivity
- Authors
- Fleischman DS, Bunevicius A, Leserman J et al.
- Journal
- Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
- Year
- 2014
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 126
- What was tested
- Pain sensitivity testing and stress hormone measurement
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1037/a0031900
Topics
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