The Clinical journal of pain
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Is self-reported childhood abuse history associated with pain perception among healthy young women and men?
A self-reported history of childhood physical and/or sexual abuse is frequently reported among chronic pain populations and has been associated with poorer adjustment to pain. In addition, self-reported abuse history has been related to increased pain complaints in population-based studies. One possible explanation for the association between abuse and clinical pain is that abuse victims may display enhanced sensitivity to painful stimuli, which increases the risk of developing clinical pain. However, the limited evidence addressing this issue has been mixed. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between self-reported history of childhood sexual or physical abuse and experimental pain responses in a nonclinical sample of generally healthy young adults. ⋯ These findings indicate that a self-reported history of childhood abuse is associated with decreased sensitivity to experimentally induced pain, especially among women. However, abuse history was associated with increased pain complaints, poorer self-reported health, and greater negative affect. These data highlight the complexity of the relationship between abuse history and pain and illustrate the need for further investigation of potential pain-related correlates of abuse.
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Clinical Trial
The roles of pain catastrophizing and anxiety in the prediction of postoperative pain intensity: a prospective study.
This study was a prospective investigation of the extent to which psychologic variables could be predictive of postoperative pain. Study aims were: 1) to evaluate whether an assessment of pre-operative distress factors could predict the intensity of postoperative pain; and 2) to characterize the unique pattern in which anxiety and pain catastrophizing scores relate to postoperative pain. ⋯ The results are discussed in light of appraisal and coping theories. It is suggested that a simple assessment of preoperative catastrophizing tendency and anxiety scores may assist medical teams in postoperative pain management.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A prospective cost-effectiveness study of trigeminal neuralgia surgery.
Approximately 8000 patients with trigeminal neuralgia undergo surgery each year in the United States at an estimated cost exceeding $100 million. We compared 3 commonly performed surgeries (microvascular decompression, glycerol rhizotomy, and stereotactic radiosurgery) to evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of these operations for patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. ⋯ This analysis supports the practice of percutaneous surgeries for older patients with medically unresponsive trigeminal neuralgia. At longer follow-up intervals, microvascular decompression is predicted to be the most cost-effective surgery and should be considered the preferred operation for patients if their risk for general anesthesia is acceptable. More data are needed to assess the role that radiosurgery should play in the management of patients with trigeminal neuralgia.
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Comparative Study
Reports of memory functioning by patients with chronic pain.
Patients with chronic pain often complain of memory and concentration difficulties. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of a set of variables that previous research has associated with memory complaints in patients with chronic pain: anxiety and depression, benzodiazepine use, chronicity of pain, and age. Special attention is paid to catastrophizing and to the differential role played by its 3 components: magnification, helplessness, and rumination. ⋯ The results support the hypothesis that emotional distress (depression and anxiety) plays an important role in memory complaints in patients with chronic pain, as well as rumination, the intrusive component of catastrophizing. Clinicians should be aware of these factors in the evaluation of memory complaints in patients with chronic pain.