Yves De Koninck and research teams from Canada and the United States are uncovering the secrets of the difference in pain perception between men and women. An encouraging step towards gender-specific treatments.
Why are men hypersensitive to pain experienced a second time? Why are women much more likely to suffer from fibromyalgia or migraine? Several research teams are seeking an explanation for these observations. Among them, Yves De Koninck, a member of the QPRN and professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Laval University, is looking for answers to explain these differences between men and women. Yves De Koninck and his team were able to demonstrate in male rats and in men that the BDNF protein was responsible for a male-specific pain signal. He also collaborated with other researchers, notably Jeffrey Mogil, to show that the CGRP peptide exacerbates pain in women. These advances are encouraging for more gender-specific pain treatments.
