• Sean Mackey, Ian Carroll, Birol Emir, T Kevin Murphy, Ed Whalen, and Levent Dumenci.
• Department of Anesthesia, Division of Pain Management, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA. smackey@pain.stanford.edu
• J Pain. 2012 Jan 1; 13 (1): 586358-63.

UnlabelledThe qualities of chronic neuropathic pain (NeP) may be informative about the different mechanisms of pain. We previously developed a 2-factor model of NeP that described an underlying structure among sensory descriptors on the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire. The goal of this study was to confirm the correlated 2-factor model of NeP. Individual descriptive scores from the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test a correlated 2-factor model. Factor 1 (stabbing pain) was characterized by high loadings on stabbing, sharp, and shooting sensory items; factor 2 (heavy pain) was characterized by high loadings on heavy, gnawing, and aching items. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis strongly supported the correlated 2-factor model.PerspectiveThis article validates a model that describes the qualities of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia. These data suggest that specific pain qualities may be associated with pain mechanisms or may be useful for predicting treatment response.Copyright © 2012 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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