Social Isolation Induces Sex-Differentiated Sensory-Emotional Pain Responses and Oxytocinergic Receptors Alterations in Mice.

Background: Chronic pain is a global health problem frequently associated with psychopathologies such as anxiety and depression, with a higher prevalence in women. However, most of the preclinical studies have used male animals as experimental subjects, highlighting the importance of studies that consider sex as a biological factor modulating the responses related to chronic pain. The experience of high social stress can maintain and exacerbate chronic pain.