Pain research & management : the journal of the Canadian Pain Society = journal de la société canadienne pour le traitement de la douleur
-
The McGill Pain Questionnaire, Japanese version, reconsidered: confirming the theoretical structure.
Based on a tripartite theoretical model of pain, the Pain Rating Index (PRI) of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) continues to be one of the most frequently used instruments to measure clinical pain. However, language and cultural barriers have hindered its wide use and standardization in Japan. Although a number of exploratory factor analysis studies have failed to support consistently the theoretical structure of the MPQ, a few previous confirmatory factor analysis studies did statistically support the a priori model. ⋯ CFA was completed on the first 16 PRI subclass scores; this process yielded a well fitting final model that explained 92% of the covariance in the observed data. The results supported the hypothesis that the sensory, affective and evaluative subscales of the PRI are representative of the multidimensionality of the pain experience, with minimal overlap. It is suggested that the theoretical structure of the MPQ is maintained in the JMPQ used in this study. Therefore, this study is the first step toward standardization of the JMPQ, serving as a cultural bridge in the field of pain medicine between Japan and English-speaking nations such as Canada.
-
To further develop an empirically based classification system for chronic pain patients through the examination of age and sex differences, and incorporation of pain duration in the grouping algorithm. ⋯ There are important age and sex differences in the clinical presentations of chronic pain patients. Some older patients present with unique clinical profiles that may reflect cohort differences, and/or physiological or psychological adjustment processes. There appears to be a greater number of distinct chronic pain presentations among females. Research on the classification of chronic pain patients within homogeneous diagnostic subgroups is needed.