Pain Perception and Sensitivity in Aging Populations

As the global population ages, the paradox of declining sensory function alongside a rising prevalence of chronic pain has become a critical challenge. Ageing is accompanied by structural and functional changes in both peripheral and central nervous systems, including degeneration of small‐fibre nociceptors, altered expression of ion channels and receptors, and diminished efficacy of descending inhibitory pathways. Within the central nervous system, glial activation and altered synaptic plasticity foster central sensitisation, while cortical areas such as the primary somatosensory cortex and anterior cingulate cortex undergo connectivity shifts that modify pain processing. Psychophysical studies reveal that older adults often exhibit elevated pain thresholds for certain modalities and reduced discriminability between stimulus intensities, yet paradoxically display increased vulnerability to chronification after injury. Environmental, nutritional and genetic factors further modulate this complex landscape. Understanding these intertwined mechanisms is essential for developing age-tailored assessment tools and interventions that preserve protective nociception while preventing chronic pain in older individuals.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies using a galactose-induced murine ageing model have demonstrated that supplementation with Ganoderma tsuage preserves physiological pain sensitivity in older animals. In formalin, hot-plate and tail-flick assays, treated mice maintained reaction speed and intensity of response compared with untreated controls, indicating that bioactive compounds in this traditional supplement can counteract age-related sensory decline. These findings suggest a promising role for nutritional or pharmacological strategies in sustaining nociceptive function and preventing injury in ageing populations.

Pain Perception and Sensitivity in Aging Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in pain perception and sensitivity in aging populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nociception: The neural process of detecting and encoding noxious stimuli that may cause tissue damage.

Pain threshold: The minimum stimulus intensity perceived as painful by an individual.

Pain discriminability: The ability to distinguish between different intensities or modalities of painful stimuli.

Central sensitisation: Heightened responsiveness of central nociceptive neurons, leading to amplified pain perception.

Peripheral sensitisation: Increased sensitivity of peripheral nociceptors following injury or inflammation.

PGC-1α: A transcriptional coactivator critical for mitochondrial biogenesis and neuronal function in the somatosensory cortex.

Formalin test: A behavioural assay in animal models that assesses pain responses to a subcutaneous injection of formalin.

References

1. Aging‐associated decrease of PGC‐1α promotes pain chronification. Aging Cell (2024).
2. Age-associated changes in multimodal pain perception. Age and Ageing (2024).
3. Chronic pain in the elderly: Exploring cellular and molecular mechanisms and therapeutic perspectives. Frontiers in Aging (2024).
4. Ganoderma tsuage promotes pain sensitivity in aging mice. Scientific Reports (2024).