Randomized cross-over evaluation of investigator gender on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers

Background and aims: This randomized cross-over study in healthy volunteers was designed primarily to evaluate the potential impact of investigator gender on electrical pain threshold (EPT) and corresponding pain intensity levels, and secondly to evaluate potential differences in those interventions...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Sellgren Engskov, Anna, Lejbman, Ilja, Åkeson, Jonas
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	DE EN
Publicado:	German Medical Science GMS Publishing House 2021
Materias:	experimenter gender identity humans pain measurement sex visual analog scale Medicine R
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/528961554861448abfe7cb7b2212d250
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:528961554861448abfe7cb7b2212d250
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:528961554861448abfe7cb7b2212d2502021-12-02T07:40:01ZRandomized cross-over evaluation of investigator gender on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers1612-317410.3205/000301https://doaj.org/article/528961554861448abfe7cb7b2212d2502021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttp://www.egms.de/static/en/journals/gms/2021-19/000301.shtmlhttps://doaj.org/toc/1612-3174Background and aims: This randomized cross-over study in healthy volunteers was designed primarily to evaluate the potential impact of investigator gender on electrical pain threshold (EPT) and corresponding pain intensity levels, and secondly to evaluate potential differences in those interventions between female and male study participants.Methods: Forty adult volunteers (22 females) were included. An electrical stimulation device was used to determine EPT levels (in pain magnitude scores) in series of three in each study participant – once by a female, and once by a male investigator – according to a predefined cross-over design schedule. Corresponding levels of pain intensity were scored on a visual analog scale (VAS) slide ruler.Results: Study data was obtained and analysed in all participants. Stly higher EPT levels were determined by the female investigr compared with the male investigator (median 22 (IQR 12–31) vs. 6–10) pain magnitude scores; <0.0001), despite similar levels of reported pain intensity (1.9 (1.2–3.0) vs. 2.0 (1.1–3.4) VAS units; >0.300). There were no differences in EPT levels between female and male subjects evaluated by female (>0.300) and male (=0.125) investigators, or between the first and second series of stimulation (>0.300).Conclusions: Our finding of significantly higher EPT levels when study participants of both genders – despite no difference in reported pain intensity – were evaluated by a female than by a male investigator, indicates a potential impact of investigator gender on the individual perception of pain.Implications: By contributing to a better understanding of how individual pain threshold levels are potentially influenced by investigator gender, this study might facilitate future evaluation of pain conditions in both preclinical and clinical settings.Sellgren Engskov, AnnaLejbman, IljaÅkeson, JonasGerman Medical Science GMS Publishing Housearticleexperimentergender identityhumanspain measurementsexvisual analog scaleMedicineRDEENGMS German Medical Science, Vol 19, p Doc14 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	DE EN
topic	experimenter gender identity humans pain measurement sex visual analog scale Medicine R
spellingShingle	experimenter gender identity humans pain measurement sex visual analog scale Medicine R Sellgren Engskov, Anna Lejbman, Ilja Åkeson, Jonas Randomized cross-over evaluation of investigator gender on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers
description	Background and aims: This randomized cross-over study in healthy volunteers was designed primarily to evaluate the potential impact of investigator gender on electrical pain threshold (EPT) and corresponding pain intensity levels, and secondly to evaluate potential differences in those interventions between female and male study participants.Methods: Forty adult volunteers (22 females) were included. An electrical stimulation device was used to determine EPT levels (in pain magnitude scores) in series of three in each study participant – once by a female, and once by a male investigator – according to a predefined cross-over design schedule. Corresponding levels of pain intensity were scored on a visual analog scale (VAS) slide ruler.Results: Study data was obtained and analysed in all participants. Stly higher EPT levels were determined by the female investigr compared with the male investigator (median 22 (IQR 12–31) vs. 6–10) pain magnitude scores; <0.0001), despite similar levels of reported pain intensity (1.9 (1.2–3.0) vs. 2.0 (1.1–3.4) VAS units; >0.300). There were no differences in EPT levels between female and male subjects evaluated by female (>0.300) and male (=0.125) investigators, or between the first and second series of stimulation (>0.300).Conclusions: Our finding of significantly higher EPT levels when study participants of both genders – despite no difference in reported pain intensity – were evaluated by a female than by a male investigator, indicates a potential impact of investigator gender on the individual perception of pain.Implications: By contributing to a better understanding of how individual pain threshold levels are potentially influenced by investigator gender, this study might facilitate future evaluation of pain conditions in both preclinical and clinical settings.
format	article
author	Sellgren Engskov, Anna Lejbman, Ilja Åkeson, Jonas
author_facet	Sellgren Engskov, Anna Lejbman, Ilja Åkeson, Jonas
author_sort	Sellgren Engskov, Anna
title	Randomized cross-over evaluation of investigator gender on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers
title_short	Randomized cross-over evaluation of investigator gender on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers
title_full	Randomized cross-over evaluation of investigator gender on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers
title_fullStr	Randomized cross-over evaluation of investigator gender on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers
title_full_unstemmed	Randomized cross-over evaluation of investigator gender on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers
title_sort	randomized cross-over evaluation of investigator gender on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers
publisher	German Medical Science GMS Publishing House
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/528961554861448abfe7cb7b2212d250
work_keys_str_mv	AT sellgrenengskovanna randomizedcrossoverevaluationofinvestigatorgenderonpainthresholdsinhealthyvolunteers AT lejbmanilja randomizedcrossoverevaluationofinvestigatorgenderonpainthresholdsinhealthyvolunteers AT akesonjonas randomizedcrossoverevaluationofinvestigatorgenderonpainthresholdsinhealthyvolunteers
_version_	1718399280726671360

Randomized cross-over evaluation of investigator gender on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers

Ejemplares similares