Behavioural and neural responses to aversive visceral stimuli in women with primary dysmenorrhoea.

Despite higher chronic pain and pain interference with daily life activities, women with primary dysmenorrhoea do not differ from healthy women with respect to visceral sensitivity or neural processing of aversive interoceptive stimuli induced by rectal distensions. Generalized sensitization may be present only in subgroups with pronounced psychosocial or psychiatric disturbances.