Introduction: Both positive (burning, stabbing, and allodynia) and negative (numbness) neuropathic symptoms may arise after surgery but likely contribute differently to patients' postoperative pain experience. Numbness has been identified as divergent from positive neuropathic symptoms and therefore excluded from some neuropathic assessment tools (Neuropathic Pain Scale for PostSurgical patients [NeuPPS]). Objectives: In this prospective longitudinal study of patients undergoing breast surgery, we aimed to delineate the time course of numbness and its coincidence with NeuPPS and to contrast the association of surgical, psychosocial, and psychophysical predictors with the development of negative vs positive neuropathic symptoms. Methods: Patients reported surgical area sensory disturbances at 2 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Association of baseline demographic, surgical, psychosocial, and psychophysical factors with NeuPPS and numbness across time was investigated using generalized estimating equation linear and logistic regression. Results: Numbness was consistently reported by 65% of patients; positive neuropathic symptoms were less common, often decreasing over time. Neuropathic Pain scale for PostSurgical patients and numbness co-occurred in half of patients and were both associated with greater clinical pain severity and impact, younger age, axillary surgery, and psychosocial factors. More extensive surgery and chemotherapy were only associated with numbness. Conversely, other chronic pain, lower physical activity, perioperative opioid use, negative affect, and lower baseline pressure pain threshold and tolerance were only associated with NeuPPS. Patients reporting numbness alone did not endorse substantial clinical pain. Conclusions: Differentiation of predictors, prevalence, and time course of numbness vs NeuPPS in breast surgical patients revealed important distinctions, suggesting that their independent assessment is worthwhile in future studies of postsurgical pain.
COVID-19 social distancing mandates increased social isolation, resulting in changes in pain severity and interference among individuals with chronic pain. Differences in personality (e.g., introversion/extraversion) may modulate responses to social isolation. We examined the influence of introversion on reported social distancing-related increases in pain interference and assessed for mediators of this relationship. Individuals with chronic pain (n = 150) completed validated questionnaires 4-8 weeks after implementation of social distancing mandates. Introversion/extraversion was measured using a subscale of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and changes in pain and psychosocial variables were calculated by comparing participants' recalled and current scores. Association between introversion/extraversion and other variables were assessed using linear regression. A parallel mediation was used to examine mediators of the association between introversion and change in pain interference. Higher introversion was associated with a decrease in pain interference after social distancing (Rho = − .194, p = .017). Parallel mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between introversion/extraversion and change in pain interference was mediated by changes in sleep disturbance and depression, such that higher introversion was associated with less isolation-induced sleep disruption and depression, and thereby less worsening of pain interference. These findings suggest that personality factors such as introversion/extraversion should be considered when personalizing treatment of chronic pain.
IntroductionEarly diagnosis of acute extremity compartment syndrome is crucial to timely surgical management. Pain is commonly used as an early diagnostic sign for acute extremity compartment syndrome, making regional anesthesia after lower extremity surgery controversial. This randomized study tested whether different concentrations of local anesthetics, or combinations of nerve blocks, would differentially impact the perception of acute extremity compartment syndrome-like pressure and ischemic pain.MethodsHealthy volunteers underwent quantitative sensory testing, including determination of pressure pain thresholds and prolonged pressure/ischemic pain in the leg using a variable cuff inflation system. Subjects were randomized to receive (1) adductor canal block alone (ACB), (2) ACB with low-concentration sciatic nerve block (ACB +LC SNB), or (3) ACB with high-concentration SNB (ACB +HC SNB). For the primary outcome, we assessed block-induced increases in pressure threshold to reach 6/10 pain, and compared the degree of increase between the three groups. The main secondary outcome was a comparison of average pain score during a 5 min hold at the 6/10 pressure pain threshold between the three groups.ResultsAll blocks raised pressure pain threshold and decreased ischemic pain, but to variable extents. Specifically, the amount the block increased pressure pain threshold was significantly different among ACB, ACB+LC SNB, and ACB+HC SNB groups (mean±SD: 24±32 mm Hg, 120±103 mm Hg, 159±93 mm Hg; p=0.002), with post hoc testing revealing ACB as less than the other two groups. Similarly, average pain scores during a prolonged/ischemic cuff hold differed among the groups (4.2±1.4, 1.4±1.7, 0.4±0.7; p<0.001), with post hoc testing revealing ACB as significantly higher.DiscussionThis study suggests the possible utility of titrating regional anesthesia, to provide some analgesia while still allowing acute extremity compartment syndrome detection.Trial registration numberNCT04113954.
Objective
Individuals experience chronic pain differently, not only based on different clinical diagnosis, but also on differing degrees of influence by biopsychosocial pain modulators. We aimed to cluster chronic pain patients into distinct subgroups based on psychosocial characteristics and pain intensity, and subsequently examined group differences in pain-related interference approximately one year later.
Methods
In this observational, longitudinal study, patients with chronic pain (N = 94) completed validated assessments of psychosocial characteristics and pain intensity at the beginning of COVID-related social distancing (April-June, 2020). One year later (May-June, 2021), patients completed a follow-up survey with assessments of pain interference, loneliness, social support, mindfulness, and optimism.
Results
A cluster analysis, using psychosocial factors and pain intensity, empirically produced three patient groups: 1) PsychoSocial Predominant (PSP), characterized by high psychosocial distress and average pain intensity; 2) Pain Intensity Predominant (PIP), characterized by average psychosocial distress and high pain intensity; and 3) Less Elevated Symptoms (LES), characterized by low psychosocial distress and low pain intensity. At the 1-year follow-up, patients in the PSP and PIP clusters suffered greater pain interference compared to the LES cluster, while the PSP cluster also reported greater loneliness, and lower mindfulness and optimism.
Conclusions
An empiric psychosocial-based clustering of patients identified three distinct groups, which differed in pain interference. Patients with high psychosocial modulation of pain at the onset of social distancing (PSP cluster) suffered not only greater pain interference, but also greater loneliness and lower levels of mindfulness and optimism, suggesting some potential behavioral targets for this group in the future.
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