A Vanderbilt University study reveals older women experience more pain than older men due to age-related brain network changes responsible for pain inhibition.

A new study conducted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that age-related changes in the brain network responsible for inhibiting pain could explain why older women experience more pain than older men. The research, supported by a National Institute on Aging grant, used fMRI scans to analyze brain responses in men and women who rated pain intensity and unpleasantness during exposure to increasing levels of heat. The study concluded that gender differences in pain perception can be traced to the brain network that inhibits pain and that these differences may become more disparate with age.

January 31, 2024
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