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. 2023 Oct 4;19:17448069231203090. doi: 10.1177/17448069231203090

Table 3.

Clinical studies that highlight age-related differences in pain perception and assessment (2000–Present).

Methodology Source Human model type Age category (mean) Difference
Non-noxious (Mechanical)/Noxious (thermal/Electrical) stimulus 186 Healthy adults Young (22) old (62) Older adults exhibit higher ratings of the intensity and unpleasantness of thermal pain and enhanced temporal summation of thermal pain relative to younger adults
187 Healthy adults Young (22) old (62.2) Older adults have lower ischemic pain thresholds and tolerances assessed via the modified submaximal effort tourniquet procedure
183 Healthy adults Young (30) old (78.9) The study finds an age-dependent temporal relationship with pain stimuli. There is a higher thermal and electrical stimulation threshold when the stimulus duration is short, but no differences when the stimulus duration is long
184 Healthy adults Young (27) old (71) There are stimulus-specific age differences. Non-noxious stimuli thresholds increase with age whereas pressure pain thresholds decrease. Heat pain thresholds show no age-related changes. Older adults demonstrate greater temporal summation, but pain summation was not affected
181 Healthy adults Middle (45–56) older (57–79) There are stimulus-specific age differences. Older adults are less sensitive to warm and painful heat stimuli than middle-aged adults. In addition, there is a greater decrease in sensitivity associated with aging in the lower extremities
103 Healthy adults Young (21.4) older (68.1) Observed greater elevations in pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-8) following cold pressor task and focal heat pain in older subjects. Only greater elevations of IL-6 after cold pressor task in older subjects Anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10) peaked later in older subjects with increased elevations for focal heat pain only
182 Healthy adults Young (27) old (69) Heat pain threshold increases with age, however, adult adults report more pain intensity. Inhibitory controls were identical between old and young adults following placebo analgesia
185 Healthy adults Young (34) old (67) Older adults experienced greater temporal summation of spatial perception of cold stimuli compared with younger adults. Temporal summation of pain intensity for heat or cold stimuli showed no age differences
Conditioned pain modulation 178 Healthy adults Young (23) old (78) Older adults needed a higher intensity of noxious stimulation to first report pain
175 Healthy adults Young (21) old (63) Older adults did not exhibit inhibitory controls whereas younger adults were able to on repetitive stimulus
176 Healthy adults Young (25) elderly (47) old (68) Endogenous pain modulation was negatively correlated with advancing age
177 Healthy adults Young (25) old (65.2) Older adults exhibit decreased inhibitory controls compared to young adults
179 Healthy adults Young (29) old (63) Older adults have an age-related reduction in inhibitory processes
180 Healthy adults Young (24) old (64) Older individuals experienced greater fluctuations in pain sensitivity following the varying intensity of the conditioned stimulus
Exercise 190 Healthy adults Young (22) old (64) There are age-related differences in exercise-induced hypoalgesia. Younger adults experience greater hypoalgesia following exercise compared with older adults