Nursing research
-
Chronic pain in adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) may be the result of altered processing in the central nervous system, as indicated by quantitative sensory testing (QST). Sensory pain quality descriptors on the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) are indicators of typical or altered pain mechanisms but have not been validated with QST-derived classifications. ⋯ Our study is the first to examine the association between MPQ sensory pain quality descriptors and QST-derived classifications in adults with SCD. Our findings provide the basis for the development of a MPQ subscale with potential as a mechanism-based screening tool for neuropathic pain.