Why pain affects men and women differently
Sexually dimorphic pain signaling mechanisms
This work looks at biological and psychological signals that make multiple chronic pain conditions more common and worse in biological females than in biological males.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11142561 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will work with adults who have two or more chronic pain problems and collect clinical, psychological, and biological information from you. They will use those measures to group patients into distinct clusters and compare those clusters between biological females and males. The team will also use laboratory experiments to follow up on biological signals tied to those patient groups. Their goal is to find the underlying mechanisms that explain sex-linked differences in overlapping chronic pain conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) who have two or more chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, temporomandibular disorders, or migraine are the most likely participants.
Not a fit: People without chronic pain, children, or those unwilling to provide clinical information or biological samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to sex-tailored ways to diagnose and treat people with multiple chronic pain conditions.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has identified patient clusters and sex differences in chronic pain, but applying those findings to guide new treatments remains limited.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Donnelly, Christopher Ryan — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Donnelly, Christopher Ryan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.