Abstract
This study was designed to examine cold pressor pain test-retest stability and to test for sex differences in that stability. Stability was assessed using two forehead cold pressor applications separated by 9 months. 28 men and 20 women participated in both Session 1 and Session 2. There were no differences on pain report between men and women at Session 1. Pearson correlation between pain levels from Session 1 and Session 2 was r=.51 p=.001. To test for agreement between pain responses at the 2 sessions a 2(time; Session 1 Session 2) × 2(Sex) analysis of variance was used. Results showed a main effect for Time (F(1,46)=6.99 p=.01, partial eta2=.13) and a Time × Sex interaction (F(1,46)=5.43 p=.02, partial eta2=.11). Women reported more pain at Session 2 (mean=7.35, SEM=.54) than Session 1 (mean=5.65, SEM=.55; F(1,19)=8.70, p<.01, partial eta2=.31) whereas men showed no difference (Session 1 mean=5.96, SEM=.45; Session 2 mean=5.87, SEM=.44; F(1,27)=0.07, p=.79, partial eta2<.01). Women reported significantly more pain than men at Session 2 (F=6.14, p=.02, partial eta2=.12). Follow up analysis showed that men had a significant increase in their belief about tolerating the pain at session two (paired t=2.3 p=.03) whereas women showed no change (t=1.1 p>.2). Men had lower cortisol levels at Session 2 than Session 1 (t=2.3 p=.03) whereas women showed no change (t=.02, p.>9). We conclude that men showed highly stable responses to cold pressor pain across an extended period whereas women showed an increase in pain report at the second exposure. We propose that men and women differ in the influence of prior pain experience on subsequent perceived pain intensity and that this influence is related to differences in psychological mechanisms used to interpret painful stimulus within the context of remembered experiences. These results have implications for understanding previously reported sex differences in pain report.
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