The journal of pain : official journal of the American Pain Society
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The Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks-American Pain Society Pain Taxonomy (AAPT) is designed to be an evidence-based multidimensional chronic pain classification system that will facilitate more comprehensive and consistent chronic pain diagnoses, and thereby enhance research, clinical communication, and ultimately patient care. Core diagnostic criteria (dimension 1) for individual chronic pain conditions included in the initial version of AAPT will be the focus of subsequent empirical research to evaluate and provide evidence for their reliability and validity. Challenges to validating diagnostic criteria in the absence of clear and identifiable pathophysiological mechanisms are described. Based in part on previous experience regarding the development of evidence-based diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorders, headache, and specific chronic pain conditions (fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, temporomandibular disorders, pain associated with spinal cord injuries), several potential approaches for documentation of the reliability and validity of the AAPT diagnostic criteria are summarized. ⋯ The AAPT is designed to be an evidence-based multidimensional chronic pain classification system. Conceptual and methodological issues related to demonstrating the reliability and validity of the proposed AAPT chronic pain diagnostic criteria are discussed.
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This study investigated whether observers socially exclude patients who experience pain that is not medically explained by means of an experimental design. Fifty-nine participants (individuals from the general population) viewed videos of 4 patients, each accompanied by a vignette describing the presence or absence of a medical explanation for their pain. Participants estimated patient's pain, and rated the sympathy felt for and the inclination to help the patient. To measure social exclusion, participants indicated their willingness to interact with the patients in several situations (Social Distance Scale). Furthermore, the participants were invited to select 2 of the 4 patients as confederates to play a game against another duo. When no medical explanation for the pain was provided, participants attributed less pain, reported feeling less sympathy, and were less inclined to help the patients with daily activities. Of particular importance to this study, participants were less willing to interact with patients with medically unexplained pain and selected less often patients with 'medically unexplained' pain than patients with 'medically explained' pain as confederates in the social game. These results are indicative of social exclusion of patients with pain for which there is no clear medical explanation. ⋯ Observers socially exclude patients with pain for which there is no clear medical explanation. These findings have important clinical implications. In particular, social exclusion might have detrimental effects on the mental and physical well-being of patients with pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
An Exploratory Human Laboratory Experiment Evaluating Vaporized Cannabis in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain from Spinal Cord Injury and Disease.
Using 8-hour human laboratory experiments, we evaluated the analgesic efficacy of vaporized cannabis in patients with neuropathic pain related to injury or disease of the spinal cord, most of whom were experiencing pain despite traditional treatment. After obtaining baseline data, 42 participants underwent a standardized procedure for inhaling 4 puffs of vaporized cannabis containing either placebo, 2.9%, or 6.7% delta 9-THC on 3 separate occasions. A second dosing occurred 3 hours later; participants chose to inhale 4 to 8 puffs. This flexible dosing was used to attempt to reduce the placebo effect. Using an 11-point numerical pain intensity rating scale as the primary outcome, a mixed effects linear regression model showed a significant analgesic response for vaporized cannabis. When subjective and psychoactive side effects (eg, good drug effect, feeling high, etc) were added as covariates to the model, the reduction in pain intensity remained significant above and beyond any effect of these measures (all P < .0004). Psychoactive and subjective effects were dose-dependent. Measurement of neuropsychological performance proved challenging because of various disabilities in the population studied. Because the 2 active doses did not significantly differ from each other in terms of analgesic potency, the lower dose appears to offer the best risk-benefit ratio in patients with neuropathic pain associated with injury or disease of the spinal cord. ⋯ A crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled human laboratory experiment involving administration of vaporized cannabis was performed in patients with neuropathic pain related to spinal cord injury and disease. This study supports consideration of future research that would include longer duration studies over weeks to months to evaluate the efficacy of medicinal cannabis in patients with central neuropathic pain.
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The recently proposed Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTTION)-American Pain Society (APS) Pain Taxonomy (AAPT) provides an evidence-based, multidimensional, chronic pain classification system. Psychosocial factors play a crucial role within several dimensions of the taxonomy. In this article, we discuss the evaluation of psychosocial factors that influence the diagnosis and trajectory of chronic pain disorders. We review studies in individuals with a variety of persistent pain conditions, and describe evidence that psychosocial variables play key roles in conferring risk for the development of pain, in shaping long-term pain-related adjustment, and in modulating pain treatment outcomes. We consider "general" psychosocial variables such as negative affect, childhood trauma, and social support, as well as "pain-specific" psychosocial variables that include pain-related catastrophizing, self-efficacy for managing pain, and pain-related coping. Collectively, the complexity and profound variability in chronic pain highlights the need to better understand the multidimensional array of interacting forces that determine the trajectory of chronic pain conditions. ⋯ The AAPT is an evidence-based chronic pain classification system in which psychosocial concepts and processes are essential in understanding the development of chronic pain and its effects. In this article we review psychosocial processes that influence the onset, exacerbation, and maintenance of chronic pain disorders.
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The psychosocial and functional consequences of chronic pain disorders have been well documented as having significant effects on the experience of pain, presentation to health care providers, responsiveness to and participation in treatment, disability, and health-related quality of life. Thus, psychosocial and functional consequences have been incorporated as 1 of the 5 dimensions within the integrated Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTTION)-American Pain Society (APS) Pain Taxonomy (AAPT): 1) core diagnostic criteria; 2) common features; 3) common medical comorbidities; 4) neurobiological, psychosocial, and functional consequences; and 5) putative neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms, risk factors, and protective factors. In this article we review the rationale for a biopsychosocial perspective, on the basis of current evidence, and describe a set of key psychosocial and behavioral factors (eg, mood/affect, coping resources, expectations, sleep quality, physical function, and pain-related interference with daily activities) that are important consequences of persistent pain and that should be considered when classifying patients within the comprehensive AAPT chronic pain structure. We include an overview of measures and procedures that have been developed to assess this set of factors and that can be used as part of the comprehensive assessment and classification of pain and to address specific research questions. ⋯ Psychosocial and functional consequences are important considerations in the classification of individuals with chronic pain. A set of key psychosocial and behavioral factors (eg, mood/affect, coping resources, expectations, sleep quality, physical function, and pain-related interference with daily activities) that should be considered when classifying patients within the comprehensive classification of chronic pain disorders developed by the AAPT are outlined and examples of assessment methods for each are described.