The Clinical journal of pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
The validity of the neuropathic pain scale for assessing diabetic neuropathic pain in a clinical trial.
In controlled trials of analgesics for the treatment of neuropathic pain, the primary outcome variable is most often a measure of global pain intensity. However, because neuropathic pain is associated with a variety of pain sensations, the effects of analgesic treatments on different sensations could go undetected if specific pain qualities are not assessed. This study sought to evaluate the utility of assessing the multiple components of neuropathic pain in an analgesic clinical trial. ⋯ These findings support the utility of the NPS for characterizing the multidimensional nature of the neuropathic pain experience and for detecting changes in neuropathic pain with treatment.