Case-control study, 2019
How do PMDD and depression affect pain sensitivity and stress response?
Women with PMDD felt pain sooner and more intensely from cold exposure, and had weaker stress responses. Women with a history of depression showed lasting changes in pain and stress response even after the depression ended.
What they did
Case-control study with 38 women. Researchers tested pain sensitivity using cold water and tourniquet tasks, then measured blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones at rest and during mental stress tasks.
What they found
PMDD women had lower pain thresholds and tolerance to cold water (greater pain sensitivity) and blunted blood pressure responses to stress. Women with prior depression history showed persistent changes in pain processing and stress response, including different relationships between blood pressure and pain tolerance.
What it means for you
Pain and stress response mechanisms work differently in PMDD and depression. This is a very small study, so we cannot be sure these findings apply to all women with PMDD or depression. The findings suggest biological pathways underlying these conditions may be distinct.
38
women total
17
with PMDD
21
without PMDD
About the study
- Original title
- Prior depression, PMDD, and pain: biological mechanisms
- Authors
- Rebecca R. Klatzkin
- Journal
- Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
- Year
- 2019
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 38
- What was tested
- None; observational comparison
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.17615/vq9f-mz60
Topics
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