Gender differences in pain perception and patterns of cerebral activation during noxious heat stimulation in humans

摘要: Abstract The purpose of the present study was to determine whether gender differences exist in forebrain cerebral activation patterns brain during pain perception. Accordingly, positron emission tomography (PET) with intravenous injection H2 15O used detect increases regional blood flow (rCBF) normal right-handed male and female subjects as they discriminated intensity innocuous noxious heat stimuli applied left forearm. Each subject instructed magnitude estimation based on a scale for which 0 indicated `no sensation'; 7, `just barely painful' 10, tolerable'. Thermal were 40°C or 50°C heat, thermode repetitive 5-s contacts volar Both rated warm but not painful females significantly more intense than did males (P=0.0052). genders showed bilateral premotor cortex addition number contralateral structures, including posterior insula, anterior cingulate cerebellar vermis, pain. However, had greater prefrontal when compared by direct image subtraction. Volume interest comparison (t-statistic) also suggested insula thalamus (P