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Die laterale Asymmetrie der menschlichen Schmerzempfindlichkeit

Lateral asymmetry of the human pain sensitivity

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Abstract

In repeated clinical studies a preponderance of pain syndromes on the left side of the body has frequently been observed. Experimental studies in humans revealed a lower pain threshold on the left, nondominant side. On the other hand, some studies do not confirm this lateralization. Since pain threshold is not a very valid measure of pain sensitivity in the range beyond threshold, and since clinical studies are limited by simply counting the incidence of the pain syndromes, we investigated whether a significant lateralization of pain sensitivity exists in the entire range beyond pain threshold. Handedness and gender were included as factors. For experimental pain stimulation in 24 subjects three different methods were used: local pressure on the middle phalanxes, a modified submaximal effort tourniquet test, and submerging the hands into cold water. For pain measurement beyond threshold we used the category splitting procedure (Heller).

All three methods of stimulation produced corresponding results. Lefthanded subjects showed decreased pain sensitivity on the left side, right-handed subjects on the right side. This was true for the total range of pain sensitivity. For pain induced by pressure, lateral asymmetry increased with pain intensity, for the other two methods it was constant. Lateral asymmetry was found in all subjects, but significant differences could only be demonstrated in female Ss. It is concluded that both gender and handedness contribute to lateral asymmetry of pain sensitivity in man.

Zusammenfassung

Mittels dreier verschiedener Schmerzinduktionsmethoden wurde untersucht, ob eine laterale Asymmetrie der Schmerzempfindlichkeit im überschwelligen Empfindungsbereich besteht. Es zeigte sich, daß die Rechts- und Linkshänder jeweils an ihrer nichtdominanten Hand schmerzempfindlicher sind. Bei Druckschmerz nimmt die laterale Asymmetrie mit steigender Schmerzintensität zu, sie bleibt konstant bei Kälte und Ischämieschmerz. Signifikante Unterschiede im Verhältnis der Schmerzempfindlichkeit an der rechten bzw. linken Körperseite fanden sich nur zwischen den links-bzw. rechtshändigen Frauen, nicht jedoch zwischen den links- und rechtshändigen Männern. Somit wird deutlich, daß nicht nur die Händigkeit, sondern auch das Geschlecht in Beziehung zur Schmerzlateralisation stehen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physiologisches Institut, Würzburg, Deutschland

    W. Westphal

  2. Abteilung Psychiatrie II der Universität Ulm, Ludwig-Heilmeyer-Straße 2, D-8870, Günburg/Donau

    H. Göbel

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  1. H. Göbel
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  2. W. Westphal
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Göbel, H., Westphal, W. Die laterale Asymmetrie der menschlichen Schmerzempfindlichkeit. Schmerz 1, 114–121 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02527738

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