[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

transition to chronicity is crossed. Therapies for this condition would therefore most likely best
be directed at protection as opposed to palliation.
Disclosures: P.M. Dougherty , None; A.W. Burton, None; B. Hamid, None; L.C. Driver,
None; H. Weng, None.
Poster
266. Pain: Psychophysics and Behavior
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 266.6/EE28
Topic: D.08.h. Psychophysics and behavior
Support: VZ 0021620816
CNS 1M0517
Title: Is there a “birthday phenomenon” in nociceptive sensitivity in women?
Authors: A. YAMAMOTOVÁ 1 , H. PAPEZOVA 2 , *R. ROKYTA 3 ;
1 Dpt of Normal, Pathological and Clin. Physiol., Charles Univ. in Prague, Third Fac. of Med.,
Prague, Czech Republic; 2 Dept. of Psychiatry, Charles Univ. in Prague, First Fac. of Med.,
Prague, Czech Republic; 3 Dept Physiol & Clin. Physiol, 3rd Fac Med. Charles Univ. Prague,
Prague 120 00, Czech Republic
Abstract: Physiological functions and behavior are known to be influenced by genetic as well as
environmental factors in adults. These factors have an effect on perinatal neurodevelopment and
in adulthood they can affect personality traits, neurotransmitter turnover (Chotai, Adolfsson
2002) or can contribute to predisposition to several diseases. Patients with eating disorders
(anorexia and bulimia nervosa) are more likely to be born in summer months and they have
decreased nociceptive sensitivity when compared with healthy women. In this retrospective
study we analyzed the effect of the month of measurement, the month of birth, and their
interaction on nociception in 68 healthy women (the mean age 23.3 ± 5.6 years) and 112 patients
with eating disorders (23.6 ± 5.8 years). Thermal pain threshold was measured on the dorsal
surface of three fingers using Analgesia Meter, Model 33IITC, Life Sciences. Data were
analyzed by ANOVA and cosinor analysis. We found a tendency to higher pain threshold in
winter experiments, although the skin temperature follows a biphasic curve with spring and
autumn maximum. We found no relation between nociception and the month of birth. The
greatest variations in nociception were observed when data were analyzed on the scale of elapsed
time between month of measurement and month of birth (F(11,168)=3.03, p=0.001). In patients