Age changes in pain perception: A systematic-review and meta-analysis of age effects on pain and tolerance thresholds

作者：Lautenbacher Stefan^*; Peters Jan H; Heesen Michael; Scheel Jennifer; Kunz Miriam

来源：Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2017, 75: 104-113.

DOI：10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.039

• Pain
• Aging
• Pain threshold
• Tolerance thresholds
• Pain perception

Demographic changes, with substantial increase in life expectancy, ask for solid knowledge about how pain perception might be altered by aging. Although psychophysical studies on age-related changes in pain perception have been conducted over more than 70 years, meta-analyses are still missing. The present meta-analysis aimed to quantify evidence on age-related changes in pain perception, indexed by pain thresholds and pain tolerance thresholds in young and older healthy adults. After searching PubMed, Google Scholar and PsycINFO using state-of-art screening (PRISMA-criteria), 31 studies on pain threshold and 9 studies assessing pain tolerance threshold were identified. Pain threshold increases with age, which is indicated by a large effect size. This age-related change increases the wider the age-gap between groups; and is especially prominent when heat is used and when stimuli are applied to the head. In contrast, pain tolerance thresholds did not show substantial age-related changes. Thus, after many years of investigating age-related changes in pain perception, we only have firm evidence that aging reduces pain sensitivity for lower pain intensities.

• 出版日期2017-4