NCT03644810

The Association Between Conditioned Pain Modulation and Pain Catastrophizing in Chronic Low Back Pain

The Efficiency of Conditioned Pain Modulation is Associated With Levels of Pain Catastrophizing in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 44 (actual)
• Sponsor: Aalborg University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study evaluates the potential association between pain catastrophizing thoughts and the ability to dampen pain via endogenous descending inhibition. Half of the participants are persons with chronic low back pain and the other half are age and gender-matched controls

Detailed description

Pain catastrophizing is a cognitive feature commonly seen in various musculoskeletal pain population and is considered an important factor to account for in rehabilitation. The ability to dampen pain via endogenous pain modulatory mechanisms is likewise known to be reduced in musculoskeletal pain conditions. Studies utilizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have demonstrated that the supraspinal areas involved in pain-related cognitive processing to a great extent overlap with those involved in endogenous pain modulation. Therefore, it is plausible that factors such as pain catastrophizing thoughts may affect the nervous systems ability to dampen pain. Chronic low back pain is the single clinical problem with the biggest impact in the modern society. Previous studies have demonstrated that pain catastrophizing and reduced endogenous pain inhibition are part of the clinical picture. However, previous studies have never investigated a potential relationship between these two factors.

Conditions

• Catastrophizing Pain
• Pain, Somatic
• Chronic Low Back Pain

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	PPT measurement	The sensitivity to pressure which is gradually increased is assessed. The procedure is performed at the back and the lower leg
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	Pain catastrophizing scale	A validated questionnaire that measures three domains of pain-related catastrophizing thoughts: helplessness, rumination and excessive magnification
PROCEDURE	Cold Pressor Test	The participant submerges one hand into a tank of cold (5 deg C), circulating water. The procedure is commonly know to decrease the sensitivity to pressure (PPT procedure) so that a difference appears in pain sensitivity when comparing PPT values before and after the procedure

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-05-01
• Primary completion: 2017-09-01
• Completion: 2018-11-08
• First posted: 2018-08-23
• Last updated: 2018-12-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Denmark