NOGUEIRA, M. Gênero: representação cognitiva e enfrentamento da dor central decorrente de acidente vascular encefálico [Gender: cognitive representation and coping with central post-stroke pain]. 177 p. Master’s Dissertation – Faculdade de Medicina da USP. São Paulo (SP), 2010.
Available on: https://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/5/5138/tde-04052011-170125/pt-br.php.
The central post-stroke pain is intense and constant and is a great physical, social, psychological and financial burden. Gender differences in relation to the sensory, physiological, emotional, social, cultural, cognitive and behavioral aspects involved in pain were evidenced. There is little research about gender and pain and there is no consensus on men and women differences in cognitive representation and coping of pain processes. The research objectives were: identify and compare the coping processes of men and women with central post-stroke pain, investigate and compare the cognitive representations that men and women have of their pain and relate cognitive representations and coping of pain. It was performed at the Pain Center of Clinical Neurology Division, Hospital das Clínicas, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo. Participated in the study 50 subjects, 25 men and 25 women, with central pain caused by ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke at least 3 months, age equal or superior of 30 years old and a minimum 4 year basic schooling. Individuals with cognitive or language deficits or with the presence of psychotic symptoms were excluded from the research. The subjects answered to a survey about demographic and clinical data, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Ways of Coping with Problems Scale (WCPS), open question that belongs to the WCPS, Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Twenty (10 men and 10 women) of the 50 subjects were randomly selected to participate in a semi-directed interview and the Thematic Drawing-and-Story Procedure. The strategy to Distract Attention was more used by the subjects in both groups. The women indicated use more than men the strategies Search for Religious Practices and Fantasized Thoughts of the WCPS and Held Spiritual and Religious Activities in the open question of WCPS; used a greater number of coping strategies compared to men; associated more than men the Emotional State as the cause of pain in IPQ-R and the Emotional Factor as a cause of pain in the semi-directed interview. There was a relationship between Emotional Factors associated as a cause of pain and use of the Control Emotions coping strategy; realize internal factors as the cause of pain and use Emotional-Centered coping strategies and noted an increase of pain intensity and use Emotional-Centered coping strategies. The results can contribute to the treatment of patients with chronic pain.