Executive Function as a Predictor of Pain Perception in Healthy Young Adults.

OBJECTIVE: Pain's impact on executive function is understood and specific cognitive abilities may contribute to coping with pain, though past work is confounded by chronic pain populations. This study aims to understand how executive functioning may predict the experience of pain among healthy adults. It was hypothesized that poorer executive functioning would predict more intense pain perception. METHOD: A total of 172 young adults were recruited for participation. Three aspects of executive functioning (i.e., impulsivity, cognitive flexibility, working memory) were assessed before randomizing participants to varying types and levels of stimulated pain. RESULTS: Results supported the hypothesis that poorer performance on tasks of working memory predicts more intense pain perception. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are counter to past work that has found inhibition may be important for coping, and future research is needed to understand the impact of specific cognitive abilities as well as how this may differ for chronic pain.

Conspiracy thinking and the long historical shadow of Romanticism on authoritarian politics.

Background: Similar effect sizes have been reported for the effects of conspiracy, pseudoscientific, and paranormal beliefs on authoritarian attitudes, which points to a conceptual problem at the heart of the conspiracy literature, namely lack of clarity as to what uniquely defines conspiracy beliefs and whether those unique elements contribute distinctly to authoritarian ideologies. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test empirically the predictive power of variance unique to each construct against covariance shared among these constructs when predicting authoritarian and anti-democratic attitudes. Methods: Online survey was administered to 314 participants in 2021 that included a battery of demographic and psychological measures. Hierarchical factor models were used to isolate unique variance from shared covariance among responses to items representing conspiracy, paranormal and pseudoscientific beliefs. Structural equation models were used to test their unique and shared effects on authoritarian and anti-democratic attitudes. Results: We found that our combined measurement model of paranormal thinking, conspiracism, and pseudoscience exhibited exceptional model fit, and that each construct was strongly predictive of both SDO and RWA (r = 0.73-0.86). Once the shared covariance was partitioned into a higher order factor, the residual uniqueness in each first order factors was either negatively related or unrelated to authoritarian and anti-democratic attitudes. Moreover, the higher order factor explained the gross majority of variance in conspiracy (R2 = 0.81) paranormal (R2 = 0.81) and pseudoscientific (R2 = 0.95) beliefs and was a far stronger predictor (ß = 0.85, p < 0.01) of anti-democratic attitudes than political partisanship (ß = 0.17, p < 0.01). Strong partisan identifiers of both parties showed much higher romanticism scores than party moderates. Conclusion and limitations: When predicting authoritarian and anti-democratic attitudes, we found no empirically unique contributions of conspiracy beliefs. Instead, we found that a shared factor, representing a 'romantic' mindset was the main predictor of authoritarian and anti-democratic attitudes. This finding potentially explains failures of interventions in stopping the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theory researchers should refocus on the shared features that conspiracy thinking has with other unwarranted epistemic beliefs to better understand how to halt the spread of misinformation, conspiracy thinking, anti-science attitudes, and even global authoritarianism.

Mild Cognitive Impairment Subtype Performance in Comparison to Healthy Older Controls on the NIH Toolbox and Cogstate.

BACKGROUND: Early detection is necessary for the treatment of dementia. Computerized testing has become more widely used in clinical trials; however, it is unclear how sensitive these measures are to early signs of neurodegeneration. We investigated the use of the NIH Toolbox-Cognition (NIHTB-CB) and Cogstate-Brief computerized neuropsychological batteries in the identification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) versus healthy older adults [healthy control (HC)] and amnestic (aMCI) versus nonamnestic MCI (naMCI). Exploratory analyses include investigating potential racial differences. METHODS: Two hundred six older adults were diagnosed as aMCI (n = 58), naMCI (n = 15), or cognitively healthy (HC; n = 133). RESULTS: The NIH Toolbox-CB subtests of Flanker, Picture Sequence Memory, and Picture Vocabulary significantly differentiated MCI from HC. Further, subtests from both computerized batteries differentiated patients with aMCI from those with naMCI. Although the main effect of race differences was noted on tests and in diagnostic groups was significant, there were no significant race-by-test interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Computer-based subtests vary in their ability to help distinguish MCI subtypes, though these tests provide less expensive and easier-to-administer clinical screeners to help identify patients early who may qualify for more comprehensive evaluations. Further work is needed, however, to refine computerized tests to achieve better precision in distinguishing impairment subtypes.

Development of an item bank for measuring prosthetic mobility in people with lower limb amputation: The Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M).

BACKGROUND: Achieving mobility with a prosthesis is a common post-amputation rehabilitation goal and primary outcome in prosthetic research studies. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) available to measure prosthetic mobility have practical and psychometric limitations that inhibit their use in clinical care and research. OBJECTIVE: To develop a brief, clinically meaningful, and psychometrically robust PROM to measure prosthetic mobility. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted to administer previously developed candidate items to a national sample of lower limb prosthesis users. Items were calibrated to an item response theory model and two fixed-length short forms were created. Instruments were assessed for readability, effective range of measurement, agreement with the full item bank, ceiling and floor effects, convergent validity, and known groups validity. SETTING: Participants were recruited using flyers posted in hospitals and prosthetics clinics across the United States, magazine advertisements, notices posted to consumer websites, and direct mailings. PARTICIPANTS: Adult prosthesis users (N = 1091) with unilateral lower limb amputation due to traumatic or dysvascular causes. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Candidate items (N = 105) were administered along with the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Brief Profile, Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire - Mobility Subscale, and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale, and questions created to characterize respondents. RESULTS: A bank of 44 calibrated self-report items, termed the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M), was produced. Clinical and statistical criteria were used to select items for 7- and 12-item short forms. PLUS-M instruments had an 8th grade reading level, measured with precision across a wide range of respondents, exhibited little-to-no ceiling or floor effects, correlated expectedly with scores from existing PROMs, and differentiated between groups of respondents expected to have different levels of mobility. CONCLUSION: The PLUS-M appears to be well suited to measuring prosthetic mobility in people with lower limb amputation. PLUS-M instruments are recommended for use in clinical and research settings.

Altered biomechanical strategies of the paretic hip and knee joints during a step-up task.

BACKGROUND: Stroke often leads to chronic motor impairments in the paretic lower limb that can constrain lower extremity movement and negatively impact the ability to navigate stairs or curbs. This cross-sectional study investigated the differences in hip and knee biomechanical strategies during a step-up task between five adults with hemiparetic stroke and five age-matched adults without stroke. METHODS: Participants were instructed to step up onto a 10.2 cm platform, where joint biomechanics were quantified for the hip in the frontal plane and the hip and knee in the sagittal plane. Peak joint kinematics were identified during the leading limb swing phase, and peak joint moments and power were identified during the leading limb pull-up phase of stance. Mixed effects regression models estimated fixed effects of limb (three levels: control dominant, stroke non-paretic, and stroke paretic) on biomechanical outcomes, while a random effect of participant controlled for within-participant correlations. RESULTS: Repeated assessments within participants (approximately 60 trials per lower limb) increased the effective sample size to between 12.0 and 19.6. Altered biomechanical strategies of the paretic lower limb included reduced flexion angles and increased pelvic obliquity angles during swing, decreased power generation in the hip frontal plane during stance, and decreased moment and power generation in the knee sagittal plane during stance. A strategy of substantial interest was the elevated hip sagittal plane moment and power generation in both stroke limbs. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that chronic motor impairments following stroke can lead to inefficient biomechanical strategies when stepping up.

Precision in the measurement of lexical expertise: the selection of optimal items for a spelling assessment.

Skilled adult readers vary in many skills related to visual word form processing such as phonological processing, vocabulary size, comprehension skill, and spelling skill (Kuperman & Van Dyke, 2011). Spelling skill in particular has received much attention because low- and high-skill spellers show different patterns of lexical processing as measured through eye movement behavior, reaction times, and word learning (Eskenazi et al., 2018; Veldre & Andrews, 2014). Researchers commonly use a spelling dictation task to measure lexical expertise; however, there is limited evidence for its psychometric properties and room for improvement in item selection (Andrews et al., 2020). The purpose of this study was to assess the precision of 110 words as measures of lexical expertise, to compare various subsets of words in a spelling dictation task, and to provide a set of words that more precisely measure lexical expertise. In Study 1, a spelling dictation task with 110 words was administered to 682 participants. In Study 2, that same task and measures of vocabulary and comprehension were administered to 786 participants. Results indicated that the set of 110 words contains many words that are imprecise measures of spelling skill. Through an iterative process of removing words with high error variance, a set of 20 words was selected that minimizes measurement error and demonstrates discriminant validity from vocabulary and comprehension ability. We recommend this set of words as a more precise measure of spelling skill, which will provide more power to detect moderating effects of lexical expertise on reading processes.

Association of Chronic Pancreatitis Pain Features With Physical, Mental, and Social Health.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Pain is a cardinal symptom of chronic pancreatitis (CP). Using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures, we characterized physical and mental health and symptom profiles of a well-defined cohort of individuals with CP and compared them with control subjects. Among patients with CP, we also examined associations between pain (intensity, temporal nature) and PROMIS symptom profiles and the prevalence of clinically significant psychological comorbidities. METHODS: We analyzed baseline data in 488 CP patients and 254 control subjects enrolled in PROCEED (Prospective Evaluation of Chronic Pancreatitis for Epidemiologic and Translational Studies), an ongoing longitudinal cohort study. Participants completed the PROMIS-Global Health, which captures global physical and mental health, and the PROMIS-29 profile, which captures 7 symptom domains. Self-reported pain was categorized by severity (none, mild-moderate, severe) and temporal nature (none, intermittent, constant). Demographic and clinical data were obtained from the PROCEED database. RESULTS: Pain was significantly associated with impairments in physical and mental health. Compared with participants with no pain, CP participants with severe pain (but not mild-moderate pain) had more decrements in each PROMIS domain in multivariable models (effect sizes, 2.54-7.03) and had a higher prevalence of clinically significant depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and physical disability (odds ratios, 2.11-4.74). Similar results were noted for constant pain (but not intermittent pain) for PROMIS domains (effect sizes, 4.08-10.37) and clinically significant depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and physical disability (odds ratios, 2.80-5.38). CONCLUSIONS: Severe and constant pain are major drivers for poor psychological and physical health in CP. Systematic evaluation and management of psychiatric comorbidities and sleep disturbance should be incorporated into routine management of patients with CP. (ClinicalTrials.gov, Number: NCT03099850).

Measurements of Best, Worst, and Average Socket Comfort Are More Reliable Than Current Socket Comfort in Established Lower Limb Prosthesis Users.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate test-retest reliability and related measurement properties of items developed to assess best, worst, and average prosthetic socket comfort. DESIGN: Methodological research to assess test-retest reliability of 4 individual socket comfort survey items. Socket comfort items were included in a self-report paper survey, which was administered to participants 2 to 3 days apart. SETTING: General community. PARTICIPANTS: A minimum convenience sample of participants (N=63) was targeted for this study; 72 lower limb prosthesis users (>1y postamputation) completed the survey and were included in the final dataset. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The expanded socket comfort score (ESCS) was adapted from the original socket comfort score (SCS). The original SCS is a single-item self-report instrument developed to assess a lower limb prosthesis user's current socket comfort. Three additional items were designed to assess the user's best, worst, and average socket comfort over the previous 7 days. RESULTS: Best, worst, and average socket comfort items demonstrated better reliability, as indicated by higher intraclass correlation coefficients. As such, these items also exhibited lower measurement error and smaller minimal detectable change values than the item that measured current socket comfort. However, test-retest coefficients for all 4 ESCS items were below the level desired for evaluation of within-individual changes of socket comfort. CONCLUSIONS: Items that assess best, worst, and average comfort provide a more stable measurement of socket fit than the existing SCS instrument. Although administration of all 4 ESCS items may provide more comprehensive assessment of a lower limb prosthesis user's socket fit, administrators should expect variations in scores over time owing to the variable nature of the underlying construct over time. Future research should examine whether the ESCS provides an improved overall assessment of socket fit.

A comparative approach to quantifying provision of acute therapy services.

ABSTRACT: This study aims to compare delivery of acute rehabilitation therapy using metrics reflecting distinct aspects of rehabilitation therapy services. Seven general medical-surgical hospitals in Illinois and Indiana prospectively collected rehabilitation therapy data. De-identified data on all patients who received any type of acute rehabilitation therapy (n = 35,449) were extracted and reported as aggregate of minutes of therapy services per discipline. Metrics included therapy types, total minutes, and minutes per day (intensity), as charted by therapists. Extended hospital stay was defined as a length of stay (LOS) longer than Medicare's geometric mean LOS. Discharge destination was coded as postacute care or home discharge. Substantial variability was observed in types, number of minutes, and intensity of therapy services by condition and hospital. The odds of an extended hospital stay increased with increased number of minutes, increased number of therapy types, and decreased with increased rehabilitation intensity. This comparative approach to assessing provision of acute therapy services reflect differential effects of service provision on LOS and discharge destination. Investigators, policymakers, and hospital administrators should examine multiple metrics of rehabilitation therapy provision when evaluating the impact of health care processes on patient outcomes.

The Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Exercise Overvaluation Scale.

While regular exercise is associated with a number of physical and mental health benefits, basing one's self-esteem largely on exercise is likely associated with negative outcomes. In the present studies, the authors developed a novel measure of this construct, something they term "exercise overvaluation." In Study 1, 820 participants completed an online survey measuring self-esteem, exercise attitudes and behaviors, and eating disorder symptoms. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to develop the 14-item Exercise Overvaluation Scale. The results provided evidence of discriminant and convergent validity and internal consistency reliability of scale scores. In Study 2, the Exercise Overvaluation Scale was administered to 134 university athletes, including those who participated in intramural sports, club sports, and collegiate athletics. The results from Study 2 supported the criterion validity and test-retest reliability of scale scores. This scale offers researchers a new tool to help understand the relationships among exercise, self-esteem, and physical and mental health outcomes.

Trade-Offs in Quality-of-Life Assessment Between the Modified Rankin Scale and Neuro-QoL Measures.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to describe the physical and cognitive health of patients with differing levels of post-stroke disability, as defined by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores. We also compared cross-sectional correlations between the mRS and the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) T-scores to longitudinal correlations of change estimates from each measure. METHODS: Mean Neuro-QoL T-scores representing mobility, dexterity, executive function, and cognitive concerns were compared among mRS subgroups. Fixed-effects regression models with robust standard errors estimated correlations among mRS and Neuro-QoL domain scores and correlations among longitudinal change estimates. These change estimates were then compared to distribution-based estimates of minimal clinically important differences. RESULTS: Seven hundred forty-five patients with ischemic stroke (79%) or transient ischemic attack (21%) were enrolled in this longitudinal observational study of post-stroke outcomes. Larger differences in cognitive function were observed in the severe mRS groups (ie, 4-5) while larger differences in physical function were observed in the mild-moderate mRS groups (ie, 0-2). Cross-sectional correlations among mRS and Neuro-QoL T-scores were high (r = 0.61-0.83), but correlations among longitudinal change estimates were weak (r = 0.14-0.44). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study undermine the validity and utility of the mRS as an outcome measure in longitudinal studies in ischemic stroke patients. Nevertheless, strong correlations indicate that the mRS score, obtained with a single interview, is efficient at capturing important differences in patient-reported quality of life, and is useful for identifying meaningful cross-sectional differences among clinical subgroups.

Differential Effects of Time to Initiation of Therapy on Disability and Quality of Life in Patients With Mild and Moderate to Severe Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of time to acute therapy on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and disability after ischemic stroke. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Comprehensive stroke care center in a large metropolitan city. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=553; mean age, 67 y; 51.9% male; 64.4% white; 88.8% ischemic stroke) with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) enrolled in a longitudinal observational study between August 2012 to January 2014 who received rehabilitation services. INTERVENTION: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Disability status was assessed with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel Index (BI). HRQoL was assessed using the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders measures of executive function, general cognitive concerns, upper extremity dexterity, and lower extremity mobility. Time to therapy consult and treatment were defined as the number of days from hospital admission to initial consult by a therapist and number of days from hospital admission to initial treatment, respectively. RESULTS: Among the participants, the median number of days from hospital admission to acute therapy consult was 2 days (interquartile range, 1-3d). Multivariable linear and logistic regression models indicated that for those with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score<5, longer time to therapy consult was associated with worse BI scores (BI=100; odds ratio [OR], 0.818; P=.008), executive function T scores (b=-0.865; P=.001), and general cognitive concerns T scores (b=-0.609; P=.009) at 1-month in adjusted analyses. In those with NIHSS score≥5, longer time to therapy treatment led to increased disability (ie, mRS≥ 2; OR, 1.15; P=.039) and lower extremity mobility T scores (b=-0.591; P=.046) at 1 month in adjusted analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Longer time to initiation of acute therapy has differential effects on poststroke disability and HRQoL up to 1-month after ischemic stroke and TIA. The effect of acute therapy consult is more notable for those with mild deficits, while the effect of acute therapy treatment is more notable for those with moderate to severe deficits. Minimizing time to therapy consults and treatments in the acute hospital period might improve outcomes after ischemic stroke and TIA.

Longer Time Before Acute Rehabilitation Therapy Worsens Disability After Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the association of time to initiation of acute rehabilitation therapy with disability after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and identify predictors of time to initiation of rehabilitation therapy. DESIGN: Retrospective data analysis of prospectively collected data from an ongoing observational cohort study. SETTING: Large comprehensive stroke center in a metropolitan area. PARTICIPANTS: Adults with ICH consecutively admitted (n=203). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Disability was assessed with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), with poor outcome defined as mRS 4-6 (dependence or worse). Time to initiation of acute rehabilitation therapy was defined as the number of days between hospital admission and the first consult by any rehabilitation therapy specialist (eg, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy). RESULTS: The median number of days from hospital admission to initiation of acute rehabilitation therapy was 3 (range=2-7). Multivariable logistic regression models indicated that each additional day between admission and initiation of acute rehabilitation therapy was associated with increased odds of poor outcome at 30 days (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=1.151; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.044-1.268; P=.005) and at 90 days (adjusted OR=1.107; 95% CI=1.003-1.222; P=.044) for patients with ICH. A multivariable linear regression model used to identify the predictors of time to initiation of rehabilitation therapy identified heavy drinking (>5 drinks per day), premorbid mRS<4, presence of pulmonary embolism, and longer length of stay in the intensive care unit as independent predictors of later initiation of acute rehabilitation therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Longer time to initiation of acute rehabilitation therapy after ICH may have persistent effects on poststroke disability. Delays in acute rehabilitation therapy consults should be minimized and may improve outcomes after ICH.

Patients With Greater Stroke Severity and Premorbid Disability Are Less Likely to Receive Therapist Consultations and Intervention During Acute Care Hospitalization.

BACKGROUND: A substantial number of patients with stroke never receive acute care therapy services, despite the fact that therapy after stroke reduces the odds of death and disability and improves patients' functioning. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of and factors associated with receipt of therapist consultations and interventions during acute care hospitalization following ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. DESIGN: This was a single-center longitudinal observational study. METHODS: Adults with a diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke (N = 1366) were enrolled during their hospitalization in an acute stroke center in a large metropolitan area. The main outcomes were receipt of therapist consultations, interventions, or both. RESULTS: Participants with acute hemorrhagic stroke (intracerebral: odds ratio [OR] = 0.34 [95% CI = 0.19-0.60]; subarachnoid: OR = 0.52 [95% CI = 0.28-0.99]) and with greater stroke severity by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (NIHSS score of > 15: OR = 0.34 [95% CI = 0.23-0.51]) were less likely to receive therapist consultations. Participants with moderate stroke severity (NIHSS score of 6-15: OR = 1.43 [95% CI = 1.01-2.33]) were more likely to receive therapy interventions. Those who were able to ambulate before admission were more than 5 times as likely to receive therapy interventions (OR = 5.08 [95% CI = 1.91-13.52]). Also, participants with longer lengths of stay (ie, more intensive care unit and non-intensive care unit days) were more likely to receive therapist consultations and interventions. Tests or procedures were the most common reasons for unsuccessful attempts to complete therapist consultations. LIMITATIONS: Lack of operational and qualitative data prohibited detailed explorations of barriers to delivery of therapist consultations and interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 1 in 4 participants with acute stroke received neither a consultation nor an intervention. Efforts to improve the delivery of acute care therapy services are needed to optimize care for these people.

Translating CESD-20 and PHQ-9 Scores to PROMIS Depression.

This study examined the accuracy of depression cross-walk tables in a sample of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The tables link scores of two commonly used depression measures to the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Depression (PROMIS-D) scale metric. We administered the 8-item PROMIS-D (Short-Form 8b; PROMIS-D-8), the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-20), and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to 459 survey participants with MS. We examined correlations between actual PROMIS-D-8 scores and the scores predicted by cross-walks based on PHQ-9 and CESD-20 scores. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to assess correspondence. Consistency in severity classification was also calculated. Finally, we used Bland-Altman plots to graphically examine the levels of agreement. The correlations between actual and cross-walked PROMIS-D-8 scores were strong (CESD-20 = .82; PHQ-9 = .74). The intraclass correlation was moderate (.77). Participants were consistently classified as having or not having at least moderate depressive symptoms by both actual and cross-walked scores derived from the CESD-20 (90%) and PHQ-9 (85%). Bland-Altman plots suggested the smaller differences between actual and cross-walked scores with greater-than-average depression severity. PROMIS cross-walk tables can be used to translate depression scores of people with MS to the PROMIS-D metric, promoting continuity with previous research.

A PROMIS Measure of Neuropathic Pain Quality.

OBJECTIVES: Neuropathic pain (NP) is a consequence of many chronic conditions. This study aimed to develop an unidimensional NP scale with scores that represent levels of NP and distinguish between individuals with NP and non-NP conditions. METHODS: A candidate item pool of 42 pain quality descriptors was administered to participants with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetic neuropathy, and cancer chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. A subset of pain quality descriptors (items) that best distinguished between participants with and those without NP conditions were identified. Dimensionality of pain descriptors was evaluated in a development sample and cross-validated in a holdout sample. Item responses were calibrated using an item response theory model, and scores were generated on a T-score metric. NP scale scores were evaluated in terms of the reliability, validity, and ability to distinguish between participants with and without conditions typically associated with NP. RESULTS: Of the 42 initial items, 5 were identified for the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Neuropathic Pain Quality Scale. T scores exhibited good discriminatory ability on the basis of receiver-operator characteristic analysis. Score thresholds that optimize sensitivity and specificity were identified. Construct, criterion, and discriminant validity, and reliability of scale scores were supported. CONCLUSIONS: The five-item Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS PQ-Neuro) Neuropathic Pain Quality Scale is a short and practical measure that can be used to identify patients more likely to have NP and to distinguish levels of NP. The data collected will support future research that targets other unidimensional pain quality domains (e.g., nociceptive pain).

Minimally important differences for Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System pain interference for individuals with back pain.

BACKGROUND: The minimally important difference (MID) refers to the smallest change that is sufficiently meaningful to carry implications for patients' care. MIDs are necessary to guide the interpretation of scores. This study estimated MID for the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pain interference (PI). METHODS: Study instruments were administered to 414 people who participated in two studies that included treatment with low back pain (LBP; n=218) or depression (n=196). Participants with LBP received epidural steroid injections and participants with depression received antidepressants, psychotherapy, or both. MIDs were estimated for the changes in LBP. MIDs were included only if a priori criteria were met (ie, sample size ≥10, Spearman correlation ≥0.3 between anchor measures and PROMIS-PI scores, and effect size range =0.2-0.8). The interquartile range (IQR) of MID estimates was calculated. RESULTS: The IQR ranged from 3.5 to 5.5 points. The lower bound estimate of the IQR (3.5) was greater than mean of standard error of measurement (SEM) both at time 1 (SEM =2.3) and at time 2 (SEM =2.5), indicating that the estimate of MID exceeded measurement error. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, researchers and clinicians using PROMIS-PI can assume that change of 3.5 to 5.5 points in comparisons of mean PROMIS-PI scores of people with LBP can be considered meaningful.

Pain intensity rating training: results from an exploratory study of the ACTTION PROTECCT system.

Clinical trial participants often require additional instruction to prevent idiosyncratic interpretations regarding completion of patient-reported outcomes. The Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTTION) public-private partnership developed a training system with specific, standardized guidance regarding daily average pain intensity ratings. A 3-week exploratory study among participants with low-back pain, osteoarthritis of the knee or hip, and painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy was conducted, randomly assigning participants to 1 of 3 groups: training with human pain assessment (T+); training with automated pain assessment (T); or no training with automated pain assessment (C). Although most measures of validity and reliability did not reveal significant differences between groups, some benefit was observed in discriminant validity, amount of missing data, and ranking order of least, worst, and average pain intensity ratings for participants in Group T+ compared with the other groups. Prediction of greater reliability in average pain intensity ratings in Group T+ compared with the other groups was not supported, which might indicate that training produces ratings that reflect the reality of temporal pain fluctuations. Results of this novel study suggest the need to test the training system in a prospective analgesic treatment trial.

Evidence from diverse clinical populations supported clinical validity of PROMIS pain interference and pain behavior.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical validity, including responsiveness, of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pain interference (PROMIS-PI) and pain behavior (PROMIS-PB) T-scores. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Data were aggregated from longitudinal studies of cancer, chronic low back pain (cLBP), rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). Linear mixed-effects models were used to compare baseline score differences and score changes over time. We calculated standardized response means (SRMs) for subgroups defined by self-reported change in general health and pain. RESULTS: A total of 1,357 individuals participated at baseline and 1,225 at follow-up. Hypotheses of significant change in PROMIS-PI and PROMIS-PB scores were supported in the intervention groups (cLBP and MDD). Differences in baseline scores for COPD exacerbators compared to stable COPD patients were in the hypothesized direction but were not statistically significant. Subgroups reporting better health showed corresponding negative SRM values supporting responsiveness of T-scores to improvement. Responsiveness to decrements was supported in some but not all clinical groups and varied by anchor. More congruent values were obtained when using a pain-specific anchor. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that PROMIS-PI and PROMIS-PB scores are sensitive to changes in pain in studies of interventions expected to impact pain. The results inform estimation of meaningful change and support power analyses for comparative effectiveness research.