Pain and Pain Sensitivity in Large-Scale Population Based Data: Age and Sex Related Differences

It has become increasingly evident that localized and spreading hyperalgesia is an important manifestation in chronic pain. Assessing the progression of such symptoms and their related sensitization mechanisms are important for understanding the pain chronification processes. Reorganized central mechanisms such as facilitated central integration, expansion of receptive fields, and impaired descending control systems have been identified in preclinical models; emerging evidence shows that similar manifestations can be found among pain patients. It is however still an open question how the pain sensitivity measures change with age and sex in the asymptomatic population and in the presence of self-reported pain. In this session key methodological factors in assessing pain sensitivity by user-independent cuff algometry will be presented. Cuff-algometry based pain sensitivity assessment was used in a large population based cohort study (Tromsø Study) including more than 15.000 participants (40 to 70 years). The protocol included sequential pain sensitivity measures with and without contralateral conditioning stimulation allowing for assessing conditioning pain modulation. These data have been used to identify age and sex related differences with increased pain sensitivity with progressing age, and female sex, as well as with self-reported pain conditions.