• Plos One · Jan 2017

    Multicenter Study

    Investigating the validity of the DN4 in a consecutive population of patients with chronic pain.

    • Hans Timmerman, SteegersMonique A HMAHRadboud university medical center, Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Nijmegen, the Netherlands., HuygenFrank J P MFJPMErasmusMC, Department of Anesthesiology, University Center of Pain Medicine, Rotterdam, the Netherlands., Jelle J Goeman, Nick T van Dasselaar, Marcel J Schenkels, Wilder-SmithOliver H GOHGRadboud university medical center, Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.Aalborg University, Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction, Aalborg, Denmark., André P Wolff, and VissersKris C PKCPRadboud university medical center, Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Nijmegen, the Netherlands..
    • Radboud university medical center, Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
    • Plos One. 2017 Jan 1; 12 (11): e0187961.

    AbstractNeuropathic pain is clinically described as pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the Dutch version of the DN4, in a cross-sectional multicentre design, as a screening tool for detecting a neuropathic pain component in a large consecutive, not pre-stratified on basis of the target outcome, population of patients with chronic pain. Patients' pain was classified by two independent (pain-)physicians as the gold standard. The analysis was initially performed on the outcomes of those patients (n = 228 out of 291) in whom both physicians agreed in their pain classification. Compared to the gold standard the DN4 had a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 76%. The DN4-symptoms (seven interview items) solely resulted in a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 67%. For the DN4-signs (three examination items) it was respectively 75% and 75%. In conclusion, because it seems that the DN4 helps to identify a neuropathic pain component in a consecutive population of patients with chronic pain in a moderate way, a comprehensive (physical-) examination by the physician is still obligate.

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