Survey study, 2015
Do women with PMDD feel pain differently at different points in their menstrual cycle?
Women with PMDD reported higher pain ratings to electrical stimulation and had lower testosterone levels than women without PMDD. Pain processing may be amplified in the brain rather than in the spinal cord during PMDD.
What they did
Researchers tested pain sensitivity in 14 women with PMDD and 14 without during three different phases of the menstrual cycle. They measured pain thresholds using electrical and blood pressure cuff stimuli, and tested hormone levels in saliva.
What they found
Women with PMDD had higher sensory pain ratings of electrical stimuli and trends for lower ischemic thresholds and higher emotional pain ratings. Testosterone levels were lower in the PMDD group during mid-follicular and ovulatory phases. No differences were found in spinal nerve reflex measurements. Testosterone and estradiol appeared to reduce pain.
What it means for you
The pain sensitivity in PMDD likely happens in brain processing rather than at the spinal cord level. Lower hormone levels may contribute to increased pain, but the study was small and only measured pain in lab settings, not daily life.
14
Women with PMDD tested
14
Women without PMDD tested
3
Menstrual cycle phases tested
About the study
- Original title
- Nociceptive processing in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): the role of menstrual phase and sex hormones
- Authors
- Bartley EJ, Palit S, Kuhn BL et al.
- Journal
- The Clinical journal of pain
- Year
- 2015
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- Observation at different menstrual cycle phases
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/ajp.0000000000000112
Topics
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