The Korean Journal of Pain

The Korean Pain Society (대한통증학회)
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Gender Differences in Heat Pain and Temporal Summation Threshold in Normal Volunteers

정상 자원자에서 열통증과 시간적 가중 역치에 대한 남녀 차이

  • Lee, Joon Ho (Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital) ;
  • Yoo, Jae Hwa (Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital) ;
  • Cho, Sung Hwan (Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital) ;
  • Kim, Yong Ik (Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital)
  • 이준호 (순천향대학교 의과대학 부천병원 마취통증의학교실) ;
  • 유재화 (순천향대학교 의과대학 부천병원 마취통증의학교실) ;
  • 조성환 (순천향대학교 의과대학 부천병원 마취통증의학교실) ;
  • 김용익 (순천향대학교 의과대학 부천병원 마취통증의학교실)
  • Received : 2008.07.03
  • Accepted : 2008.07.18
  • Published : 2008.08.30
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Abstract

Background: Females generally have a lower pain and temporal summation threshold than men. However, the results of studies designed to evaluate gender differences in the thresholds of heat pain and the temporal summation have been inconsistent. Newly developed device, CHEPS (Contact Heat Evoked Potential Stimulation) model of PATHWAY, have superiority on its fast rise and return time in temperature. Therefore we investigated gender differences in heat pain and temporal summation threshold. Methods: Forty healthy volunteers (20 males and 20 females) were enrolled in this study. A thermode was applied to the volar side of each volunteer's left forearm and heat pain and the temporal summation threshold was then measured. The heat pain threshold was estimated using the staircase method by starting from $36^{\circ}C$ and then increasing the temperature in $0.5^{\circ}C$ increments. The temporal summation threshold was estimated by applying five successive stimulation of the same temperature starting at $2^{\circ}C$ lower than the heat pain threshold and then increasing the temperature in $0.5^{\circ}C$ increments. Results: The mean heat pain thresholds was found to be $41.63{\pm}1.63^{\circ}C$ for males and $41.60{\pm}1.84^{\circ}C$ for females and the temporal summation thresholds were found to be $40.83{\pm}1.64^{\circ}C$ for males and $40.77{\pm}1.93^{\circ}C$ for females. The differences between males and females were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The result of this study suggested that there are no gender differences in heat pain and temporal summation threshold.

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References

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