Cross-cultural adaption, validity, and reliability of the Japanese version of the Central Aspects of Pain in the Knee (CAP-Knee-J) questionnaire in patients with knee pain: a validation study.

BACKGROUND: Knee pain is a prominent concern among older individuals, influenced by the central nervous system. This study aimed to translate the Central Aspects of Pain in the Knee (CAP-Knee) questionnaire into Japanese and investigate its reliability and validity in older Japanese individuals with knee pain. METHODS: Using a forward-backward method, CAP-Knee was translated into Japanese, and data from 110 patients at an orthopedic clinic were analyzed. The Japanese version (CAP-Knee-J) was evaluated regarding pain intensity during walking, central sensitization inventory, and pain catastrophizing scale. Statistical analyses confirmed internal validity and test-retest reliability. Concurrent validity was assessed through a single correlation analysis between CAP-Knee-J and the aforementioned measures. Exploratory factor analysis was employed on each CAP-Knee-J item to examine structural validity. RESULTS: CAP-Knee-J showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.86) and excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.77). It correlated significantly with pain intensity while walking, central sensitization inventory scores, and pain catastrophizing scale scores. Exploratory factor analysis produced a three-factor model. CONCLUSIONS: CAP-Knee-J is a reliable and valid questionnaire for assessing central pain mechanisms specific to knee pain in older Japanese individuals, with moderate correlations with the CSI and weak with the PCS, thus indicating construct validity. This study supports the development of effective knee pain treatments and prognosis predictions.

The brief measure of preoperative emotional stress screens preoperative maladaptive psychological features and predicts postoperative opioid use: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: The Brief Measure of Preoperative Emotional Stress (B-MEPS) is a suitable screening tool for Preoperative Emotional Stress (PES). However, personalized decision-making demands practical interpretation of the refined version of B-MEPS. Thus, we propose and validate cut-off points on the B-MEPS to classify PES. Also, we assessed if the cut-off points screened preoperative maladaptive psychological features and predicted postoperative opioid use. METHODS: This observational study comprises samples of two other primary studies, with 1009 and 233 individuals, respectively. The latent class analysis derived emotional stress subgroups using B-MEPS items. We compared membership with the B-MEPS score through the Youden index. Concurrent criterion validity of the cut-off points was performed with the severity of preoperative depressive symptoms, pain catastrophizing, central sensitization, and sleep quality. Predictive criterion validity was performed with opioid use after surgery. RESULTS: We chose a model with three classes labeled mild, moderate, and severe. The Youden index points -0.1663 and 0.7614 of the B-MEPS score classify individuals, in the severe class, with a sensitivity of 85.7% (80.1%-90.3%) and specificity of 93.5% (91.5-95.1%). The cut-off points of the B-MEPS score have satisfactory concurrent and predictive criterion validity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings showed that the preoperative emotional stress index on the B-MEPS offers suitable sensitivity and specificity for discriminating the severity of preoperative psychological stress. They provide a simple tool to identify patients prone to severe PES related to maladaptive psychological features, which might influence the perception of pain and analgesic opioid use in the postoperative period.

Validation of the Spanish version of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale for Children (PCS-C).

INTRODUCTION: Pain catastrophizing is a powerful factor that can affect health care outcomes as well as emotional and physical well-being. The Pain Catastrophizing Scale for Children (PCS-C) is widely used, but it is not validated in Spanish. The aim of the study was to translate the PCS-C to Spanish and assess the validity and reliability of the translated version. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was carried out in two phases: (a) instrument translation (via a translation-back-translation process) and (b) psychometric analysis (construct validity: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, floor and ceiling effects and convergent validity). It had a cross-sectional design and was conducted on a sample of children aged 8-18 years was selected by convenience in a paediatric hospital. The study followed the STARD checklist. RESULTS: The sample included 150 children and adolescents (mean age, 12.45 years; 63.8% male) and their parents. The exploratory and the confirmatory analysis showed a good adjustment of the model to the original 3-model structure with 13 items. The internal consistency of the scale was excellent (Cronbach α, 0.904), and no floor or ceiling effects were detected. In the convergent validity analysis, the Spanish version of the PCS-C showed a moderate correlation with pain interference (r=0.400) and with health-related quality of life (r=0.217-0.303). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that the Spanish version of the PCS-C is a valid and reliable scale to assess pain catastrophizing in children and adolescents.

Establishing the Reliability, Validity, and Prognostic Utility of the Momentary Pain Catastrophizing Scale for Use in Ecological Momentary Assessment Research.

Despite the marked increase in ecological momentary assessment research, few reliable and valid measures of momentary experiences have been established. The goal of this preregistered study was to establish the reliability, validity, and prognostic utility of the momentary Pain Catastrophizing Scale (mPCS), a 3-item measure developed to assess situational pain catastrophizing. Participants in 2 studies of postsurgical pain outcomes completed the mPCS 3 to 5 times per day prior to surgery (N = 494, T = 20,271 total assessments). The mPCS showed good psychometric properties, including multilevel reliability and factor invariance across time. Participant-level average mPCS was strongly positively correlated with dispositional pain catastrophizing as assessed by the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (r = .55 and .69 in study 1 and study 2, respectively). To establish prognostic utility, we then examined whether the mPCS improved prediction of postsurgical pain outcomes above and beyond one-time assessment of dispositional pain catastrophizing. Indeed, greater variability in momentary pain catastrophizing prior to surgery was uniquely associated with increased pain immediately after surgery (b = .58, P = .005), after controlling for preoperative pain levels and dispositional pain catastrophizing. Greater average mPCS score prior to surgery was also uniquely associated with lesser day-to-day improvement in postsurgical pain (b = .01, P = .003), whereas dispositional pain catastrophizing was not (b = -.007, P = .099). These results show that the mPCS is a reliable and valid tool for ecological momentary assessment research and highlight its potential utility over and above retrospective measures of pain catastrophizing. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents the psychometric properties and prognostic utility of a new measure to assess momentary pain catastrophizing. This brief, 3-item measure will allow researchers and clinicians to assess fluctuations in pain catastrophizing during individuals' daily lives, as well as dynamic relationships between catastrophizing, pain, and related factors.

Clinical Characterization of Juvenile Fibromyalgia in a Multicenter Cohort of Adolescents Enrolled in a Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM) is a complex chronic pain condition that remains poorly understood. The study aimed to expand the clinical characterization of JFM in a large representative sample of adolescents with JFM and identify psychological factors that predict pain interference. METHODS: Participants were 203 adolescents (ages 12-17 years) who completed baseline assessments for the multisite Fibromyalgia Integrative Training for Teens (FIT Teens) randomized control trial. Participants completed the Pain and Symptom Assessment Tool, which includes a Widespread Pain Index (WPI; 0-18 pain locations) and Symptom Severity checklist of associated somatic symptoms (SS; 0-12) based on the 2010 American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia. Participants also completed self-report measures of pain intensity, functional impairment, and psychological functioning. RESULTS: Participants endorsed a median of 11 painful body sites (WPI score) and had a median SS score of 9. Fatigue and nonrestorative sleep were prominent features and rated as moderate to severe by 85% of participants. Additionally, neurologic, autonomic, gastroenterologic, and psychological symptoms were frequently endorsed. The WPI score was significantly correlated with pain intensity and catastrophizing, while SS scores were associated with pain intensity and all domains of physical and psychological functioning. Depressive symptoms, fatigue, and pain catastrophizing predicted severity of pain impairment. CONCLUSION: JFM is characterized by chronic widespread pain with fatigue, nonrestorative sleep, and other somatic symptoms. However, how diffusely pain is distributed appears less important to clinical outcomes and impairment than other somatic and psychological factors, highlighting the need for a broader approach to the assessment and treatment of JFM.

Preliminary validation of the Turkish version of the pain catastrophizing scale for children and parents (PCS-C and PCS-P) in primary childhood headache.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to translate the pain catastrophizing scale for children and parents (PCS-C and PCS-P) into Turkish (TurPCS-C and TurPCS-P) and evaluate the psychometric properties in children with primary headache. METHODS: Exploratory factor analysis was used to test the construct validity. Reliability was measured using item-total score correlation, internal consistency (Cronbach α coefficient), Cronbach α if the item was deleted, and test-retest correlation. Concurrent validity and convergent validity of the scales were correlated with other scales (Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale [RCADS], RCADS Parent RCADS-P, Quality of Life Scale for Children [PedsQL], and PedsQL-Parents [PedsQL-P]) and some related features (pain intensity, mobile phone usage time, and headache duration). RESULTS: Of the 80 children participating in the study, 55 (68.8%) were girls and 25 (31.2%) were boys. It was determined that the original three-factor structure was not supported for TurPCS-C and TurPCS-P. Cronbach α value was 0.871 for TurPCS-C consisting of 12 items, and Cronbach α value was 0.890 for TurPCS-P consisting of 12 items. As the PedsQL score increased, there was a negative correlation (p<0.05, r=-0.575) in all three areas of TurPCS-C, and there was a positive correlation (p<0.05) among the scores from the RCADS scale and TurPCS-C. Similarly, there was a negative correlation with PedsQL-P and TurPCS-P and positive correlation with RCADS-P and TurPCS-P (p<0.05 for each). CONCLUSION: TurPCS-C and TurPCS-P are an evaluation instrument with sufficient validity and reliability, and it can be reliably used to examine pediatric patients with primary headache.

Validation of the Brazilian version of the child pain catastrophizing scale and its relationship with a marker of central sensitization

Abstract Objectives The Pain Catastrophizing Scale-Child version (PCS-C) allows to identify children who are prone to catastrophic thinking. We aimed to adapt the Brazilian version of PCS-C (BPCS-C) to examine scale psychometric properties and factorial structure in children with and without chronic pain. Also, we assessed its correlation with salivary levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Methods The Brazilian version of PCS-C was modified to adjust it for 7-12 years old children. To assess psychometric properties, 100 children (44 with chronic pain from a tertiary hospital and 56 healthy children from a public school) answered the BPCS-C, the visual analogue pain scale, and questions about pain interference in daily activities. We also collected a salivary sample to measure BDNF. Results We observed good internal consistency (Cronbach's value = 0.81). Parallel analysis retained 2 factors. Confirmatory factor analysis of our 2-factor model revealed consistent goodness-of-fit (IFI = 0.946) when compared to other models. There was no correlation between visual analogue pain scale and the total BPCS-C score; however, there was an association between pain catastrophizing and difficulty in doing physical activities in school (p= 0.01). BPCS-C total scores were not different between groups. We found a marginal association with BPCS-C (r= 0.27, p= 0.01) and salivary BDNF levels. Discussion BPCS-C is a valid instrument with consistent psychometric properties. The revised 2-dimension proposed can be used for this population. Children catastrophism is well correlated with physical limitation, but the absence of BPCS-C score differences between groups highlights the necessity of a better understanding about catastrophic thinking in children.

Validation of pain catastrophizing scale on breast cancer survivor.

INTRODUCTION: Pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) is the most used scale to measure pain catastrophizing. In breast cancer survivors (BCS), pain catastrophizing is related to upper-limbs dysfunction and disability. This study aimed to assess the internal consistency, internal structure, and convergent validity of the Spanish version of the PCS in Spanish BCS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Breast cancer survivors were recruited from the service of Medical Oncology of the University Clinical Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, in Málaga (Spain). The psychometric properties were evaluated with analysis factor structure by maximum likelihood extraction (MLE), internal consistency, and construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). RESULTS: Factor structure was three-dimensional, and one item was removed due to cross-loading. The new 12-item PCS showed a high internal consistency for the total score (α = 0.91) and a good homogeneity, and CFA revealed a satisfactory fit. PCS showed an acceptable correlation with FACS (r = 0.53, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Pain catastrophizing scale is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate pain catastrophizing in Spanish BCS. This tool may help clinicians in the management of pain by assessing pain and by measuring the effect of interventions.

Pain Catastrophizing Scale Associated With Other Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Plantar Fasciitis and Chronic Ankle Instability Patients.

BACKGROUND: The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) is a measure of how patients emotionally respond to pain. It is composed of 3 subscales-rumination, magnification, and helplessness-which address intrusive thoughts of pain, expectations of negative outcomes, and inability to cope with pain. Our purpose is to compare baseline PCS scores with other baseline patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in patients with plantar fasciitis (PF) or chronic ankle instability (CAI). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 201 patients who reported at least 1 pretreatment PCS subscore and were diagnosed with PF or CAI between 2015 and 2020 in a single fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon's clinic. Demographics, comorbidities, treatments, other baseline PROMs (i.e., visual analog scale [VAS], Pain Disability Index [PDI], 12-Item Short Form Survey [SF-12], 8-Item Somatic Symptom Scale [SSS-8]), and postoperative outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: The PCS total score and its subscores significantly correlated with the total score and/or subscores of each PROM. Higher PCS total score significantly correlated with worse VAS (P<.001), SF-12 mental (P=.007), PDI total (P<.001), and SSS-8 (P<.001) scores. Only the PCS magnification subscore was significantly greater among patients who did (n=41) undergo surgery (P=.043). Those who had previously undergone foot and/or ankle surgery had significantly higher PCS rumination (P=.012), magnification (P=.006), helplessness (P=.008), and total (P=.003) scores. Likewise, those with a history of substance abuse also had significantly higher PCS scores (P=.005; P=.003; P=.006; P=.003). CONCLUSION: The correlations between PCS scores and other baseline PROMs indicate that strong pain catastrophizers with PF or CAI may be at risk for poor treatment outcomes. PCS scores could be used to help with treatment for such high-risk patients.

The Pediatric Pain Screening Tool (PPST) can Rapidly Identify Elevated Pain and Psychosocial Symptomatology in Treatment-Seeking Youth with Acute Musculoskeletal Pain.

This cross-sectional study examines the utility of the Pediatric Pain Screening Tool (PPST) for rapidly assessing pain and psychosocial symptomatology in treatment-seeking youth with acute musculoskeletal pain. Participants were 166 youth (10-18 years, 53.6% female) participating in one of two larger cohort studies of youth with acute musculoskeletal pain. Youth completed the PPST and measures of pain, pain-related fear, pain catastrophizing, pain-related disability, and sleep quality. Participants were categorized into PPST risk groups using published cut-offs. ANOVA and chi-square examined associations between PPST risk groups and self-report measures; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses examined associations among PPST scores and clinical reference cut-offs. The PPST classified 28.3% of youth as high, 23.5% as moderate, and 48.2% as low-risk. Females were more likely to be high-risk. ANOVAs revealed differences in clinical factors by PPST risk group particularly differences among youth labeled high versus low-risk. ROC analyses showed the PPST is effective in discriminating "cases" versus "non-cases" on pain-related disability, pain-fear and catastrophizing. Results reveal the PPST is effective for rapidly screening youth with acute pain for pain and psychosocial symptomatology. An important next step will be to examine the validity of the PPST in predicting recovery outcomes of acute pain samples. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents the Pediatric Pain Screening Tool (PPST) as a measure for rapidly screening youth with acute pain for pain and psychosocial symptomatology. The tool categorizes youth into low, moderate or high-risk groups and discriminates among those with versus without clinically significant levels of disability, pain-related fear and catastrophizing.

Responsiveness and minimal important change of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale in people with chronic low back pain undergoing multidisciplinary rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), a widely used tool to assess catastrophizing related to spinal disorders, shows valid psychometric properties in general but the minimal important change (MIC) is still not determined. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess responsiveness and MIC of the PCS in individuals with chronic low back pain (LBP) undergoing multidisciplinary rehabilitation. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: The setting was outpatient rehabilitation hospital. POPULATION: Two hundred and five patients with chronic LBP. METHODS: Before and after an 8-week multidisciplinary rehabilitation program, 205 patients completed the Italian version of the PCS (PCS-I). We calculated the PCS-I responsiveness by distribution-based methods (effect size [ES], standardized response mean [SRM], and minimum detectable change [MDC]) and anchor-based methods [receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves]. After the program, participants completed a 7-point global perceived effect scale (GPE), based on which they were classified as "improved" vs. "stable." ROC curves computed the best cut-off level (taken as the MIC) between the two groups. ROC analysis was also performed on subgroups according to patients' baseline PCS scores. RESULTS: ES, SRM and MDC were 0.71, 0.67 and 7.73, respectively. ROC analysis yielded an MIC of 8 points (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6-10; area under the curve [AUC]: 0.88). ROC analysis of the PCS subgroups confirmed an MIC of 8 points (95%CI: 6-10) for no/low catastrophizers (score <30, N.=159; AUC: 0.90) and indicated an MIC of 11 points (95%CI: 8-14) for catastrophizers (score >30, N.=33; AUC: 0.84). CONCLUSIONS: The PCS-I showed good ability to detect patient-perceived clinical changes in chronic LBP postrehabilitation. The MIC values we determined provide a benchmark for assessing individual improvement in this clinical context. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The present study calculated - in a sample of people with chronic LBP - the responsiveness and MIC of the PCS. These values increase confidence in interpreting score changes, enhancing their meaningfulness for both research and clinical contexts.

Validation of the Brazilian version of the child pain catastrophizing scale and its relationship with a marker of central sensitization.

OBJECTIVES: The Pain Catastrophizing Scale-Child version (PCS-C) allows to identify children who are prone to catastrophic thinking. We aimed to adapt the Brazilian version of PCS-C (BPCS-C) to examine scale psychometric properties and factorial structure in children with and without chronic pain. Also, we assessed its correlation with salivary levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic factor (BDNF). METHODS: The Brazilian version of PCS-C was modified to adjust it for 7-12 years old children. To assess psychometric properties, 100 children (44 with chronic pain from a tertiary hospital and 56 healthy children from a public school) answered the BPCS-C, the visual analogue pain scale, and questions about pain interference in daily activities. We also collected a salivary sample to measure BDNF. RESULTS: We observed good internal consistency (Cronbach's value = 0.81). Parallel analysis retained 2 factors. Confirmatory factor analysis of our 2-factor model revealed consistent goodness-of-fit (IFI = 0.946) when compared to other models. There was no correlation between visual analogue pain scale and the total BPCS-C score; however, there was an association between pain catastrophizing and difficulty in doing physical activities in school (p = 0.01). BPCS-C total scores were not different between groups. We found a marginal association with BPCS-C (r = 0.27, p = 0.01) and salivary BDNF levels. DISCUSSION: BPCS-C is a valid instrument with consistent psychometric properties. The revised 2-dimension proposed can be used for this population. Children catastrophism is well correlated with physical limitation, but the absence of BPCS-C score differences between groups highlights the necessity of a better understanding about catastrophic thinking in children.

Association between preoperative low muscle mass and psychological factors after surgery among patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: A longitudinal study.

It remains controversial whether preoperative low muscle mass affects clinical outcomes after lumbar surgery. Previous studies evaluated outcomes such as pain, quality of life, and disability, but none investigated preoperative low muscle mass and psychological factors. The purpose of this study was to clarify the association between preoperative low muscle mass and postoperative psychological factors in lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). A longitudinal analysis was performed in 85 consecutive preoperative patients with LSS. Demographic data, leg pain, low back pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) score, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire on Physical Activity (FABQ-PA) score, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score, walking velocity, grip strength, and appendicular lean mass were assessed. Muscle mass was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Patients were divided into two groups based on skeletal muscle mass index. These clinical outcomes were evaluated preoperatively and 1 year after surgery. In the 73 patients who were analyzed 1 year after surgery, the prevalence of preoperative low muscle mass was 21.9%. The normal muscle mass group showed significantly improved PCS, FABQ-PA, HADS-anxiety, and HADS-depression scores 1 year after surgery. The low muscle mass group did not demonstrate significantly improved PCS, FABQ-PA, or HADS-depression scores, and had a significantly smaller increase in the FABQ-PA score than the normal muscle mass group. Multivariate analysis showed that low muscle mass was significantly related to change in FABQ-PA score. Our results suggest that preoperative low muscle mass hinders improvement in fear-avoidance beliefs 1 year after surgery.

Development of the Hausa version of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale: translation, cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation in mixed urban and rural patients with chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Catastrophizing has been recognized as an important contributor to chronicity in individuals with chronic pain syndromes including low back pain (LBP). The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) is perhaps the most widely used tool to evaluate the degree of pain catastrophizing. However, its use is limited in Hausa-speaking countries due to the lack of a validated translated version. OBJECTIVE: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the PCS into Hausa (Hausa-PCS), and evaluate its psychometric properties in mixed urban and rural patients with chronic LBP. METHODS: The PCS was translated and cross-culturally adapted into Hausa in accordance with established guidelines. To evaluate its psychometric properties, a consecutive sample of 200 patients with chronic LBP was recruited from urban and rural Nigerian hospitals. Validity was evaluated by exploring content validity, factorial structure (confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]), construct validity (Spearman's rho for a priori hypotheses) and known-groups validity. Reliability was evaluated by calculating internal consistency (Cronbach's α), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC) and limits of agreement with 95% confidence interval (LOA95%). RESULTS: The Hausa-PCS was comprehensible with good content validity. The CFA confirmed a 3-factor structure similar to the original English version. The concurrent validity was supported as 83% (5/6) of the a priori hypotheses were confirmed. Known-groups comparison showed that the questionnaire was unable to differentiate between male and female or urban and rural patients (p > 0.05). Internal consistency and ICC were adequate for the Hausa-PCS total score (α = 0.84; ICC = 0.90) and the subscale helplessness (α = 0.78; ICC = 0.89) but for the subscales rumination (α = 0.69; ICC = 0.68) and magnification (α = 0.41; ICC = 0.43). The LOA95% for the Hausa-PCS total score was between - 8.10 and + 9.75, with SEM and MDC of 3.47 and 9.62 respectively. CONCLUSION: The Hausa-PCS was successfully developed and psychometrically adequate in terms of factorial structure, construct validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability when applied in mixed urban and rural patients with chronic LBP. However, the internal consistency and reliability coefficients (ICC) for the individual subscales are inadequate. Thus, we support the use of the total score when evaluating pain catastrophizing for clinical or research purposes.

Pain Catastrophizing and Quality of Life in Adults With Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Psychological comorbidity is common in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and is correlated with decreased overall and disease-specific quality of life (QoL). Prior research reported that anxiety and depression, as measured by the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), are associated with worse CRS-specific QoL, as assessed via the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI). Furthermore, patients prone to anxiety/depression may display an exaggerated response to real or anticipated discomfort; the pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) is a validated instrument designed to measure this phenomenon. This study is intended to explore the role of pain catastrophizing in relation to anxiety, depression, and disease-specific QoL in patients with facial pain attributed to CRS. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Diagnosis of presumed CRS was based upon current American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) guidelines; all participants reported facial pain as a component of their CRS symptomatology. RSDI, HADS, and PCS questionnaires were administered upon presentation prior to intervention, and objective measurements of sinonasal inflammation were obtained via nasal endoscopy and computed tomography (CT). RESULTS: Seventy-five patients were enrolled in the study. Significant positive correlations were found between PCS and HADS, total RSDI, and RSDI emotional sub-scores (P < .05). The incidence of objective evidence of disease, as measured via nasal endoscopy and CT, was not significantly different in catastrophizing patients. CONCLUSIONS: Pain catastrophizing correlates with anxiety/depression and worse disease-specific QoL in patients meeting symptomatic criteria for CRS. Otolaryngologists should be aware that catastrophic thinking can intensify a patient's perception of sinonasal symptoms, and clinicians may consider management of psychological comorbidity to optimize rhinologic outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:1939-1945, 2021.

Chronic Pelvic Pain Patients Demonstrate Higher Catastrophizing in Association with Pelvic Symptoms and Comorbid Pain Diagnoses.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the relationship between catastrophization and pelvic pain symptomatology in chronic pelvic pain (CPP) patients using standardized questionnaires. METHODS: CPP patients completed standardized questionnaires which included: genitourinary pain index, patient health questionnaire for anxiety and depression, interstitial cystitis symptom index, and pelvic floor distress inventory. Scores and number of comorbidities were compared to Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) by linear regression. Patients categorized as "extreme catastrophizing" (PCS score ≥30), traditionally associated with worse outcomes in the pain literature [10-11], were also analyzed separately. RESULTS: 184 patients were included (mean age 42 years, N = 23 male). Higher number of pain comorbidities was correlated to PCS (P < .001) as well as higher scores on all standardized questionnaires (P < .001). Forty-four percent of patients (81/184) were extreme catastrophizers and scored significantly worse on all standardized measures when compared to nonextreme catastrophizers. Mean scores for nonextreme vs extreme catastrophizers were: genitourinary pain index (25.7 ± 6.8 vs 32.7 ± 6.5, P < .001), interstitial cystitis symptom index (6.5 ± 4.7 vs 9.4 ± 5.8, P < .001), pelvic floor distress inventory (88.8 ± 52 vs 121.1 ± 62.8, P < .001), patient health questionnaire anxiety (1.7 ± 2.0 vs 3.6 ± 2.1, P < .001), and depression (1.4 ± 1.6 vs 3.3 ± 2.0, P < .001). Number of comorbidities was not significant predictor of extreme catastrophizing (3.5 vs 3.7 P = .22). CONCLUSION: Higher scores on standardized questionnaires and more comorbidities was associated with more catastrophizing in CPP patients. This study highlights the significance of standardized questionnaires, including the PCS, to predict which patients may be extreme catastrophizers and thus subject to worse outcomes. Future studies are needed to look at catastrophization as a potentially modifiable and treatable risk factor.

Factor structure and invariance of the pain catastrophizing scale in patients with chronic pain and their spouses.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the equivalency and factor structure of the patients and significant others' version of pain catastrophizing scales in patients with chronic pain and their spouses who are not in pain. METHOD: Participants were 142 married couples in which 1 spouse reported chronic musculoskeletal pain. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to compare 4 models of pain catastrophizing, and to examine the invariance of the factor structure of the PCS-Patient version and the PCS-Significant other version in patients with chronic pain and their spouses. RESULTS: The results indicated that the 2-factor oblique model provided an adequate fit to the data of both patients with chronic pain and their spouses who are not in pain. Moreover, it was found that when gender was controlled, the hypothesized factor structures of the PCS-patient version and the PCS-Significant other version were invariant. Indeed, it was revealed that the PCS-Patient version and the PCS-Significant other version measure the same factors in couples in which 1 of them have a chronic pain condition. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study showed that the 2-factor oblique model is the best fit in both samples (i.e., patients with chronic pain and their spouses). Therefore, it can be suggested that these versions can be used among patients and their spouses and the findings regarding them can be compared. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Racial Differences in Pain and Function Following Knee Arthroplasty: A Secondary Analysis From a Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The assessment of racial differences in pain and function outcome following knee arthroplasty (KA) has received little attention despite very substantial literature exploring a variety of other prognostic factors. The present study was undertaken to determine whether race was associated with KA outcome after accounting for potential confounding factors. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial of 384 participants with moderate-to-high pain catastrophizing who underwent KA. Preoperative measures included race/ethnicity status as well as a variety of potential confounders, including socioeconomic status, comorbidity, and bodily pain. Outcome measures were Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain and function scales as well as performance measures. Linear mixed-effects models compared outcomes over a 1-year follow-up period for African American versus non-African American participants. RESULTS: WOMAC pain scores differences for African American versus non-African American participants averaged ~2 points in unadjusted analyses and 1-1.5 points in adjusted analyses. In adjusted analyses, follow-up WOMAC function scores differed by 6 points for African Americans compared to non-African Americans (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: African Americans generally had worse pain, function, and performance prior to KA and worse scores after surgery, but differences were small and attenuated by ~25-50% after adjustment for potential confounding. Only WOMAC function scores showed clinically important postsurgical differences in adjusted analyses. Clinicians should be aware that after adjustment for potential confounders, African Americans have approximately equivalent outcomes compared to others, with the exception of WOMAC function score.

Patient Mindset and the Success of Carpal Tunnel Release.

BACKGROUND: Depression and pain catastrophizing are aspects of the patient's mindset that have been shown to be important in relation to the outcome of carpal tunnel release. However, other factors of the patient's mindset have been understudied, such as treatment expectations and illness perceptions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of these mindset aspects on outcome of carpal tunnel release, in addition to psychological distress and pain catastrophizing. METHODS: A total of 307 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome who visited outpatient hand surgery clinics and who completed online questionnaires regarding demographic and psychosocial characteristics and carpal tunnel syndrome severity were included. The patient mindset was measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Credibility Expectancy Questionnaire, and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to examine the relation between self-reported severity 6 months after carpal tunnel release, as measured with the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, and psychosocial aspects of mindset, adjusting for preoperative Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire score, patient characteristics, and comorbidities. RESULTS: Independent associations with better self-reported outcome were found for higher treatment expectations (ß = -0.202; p < 0.001) and illness comprehensibility (ß = -0.223; p < 0.001). The additional explained variance in Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire scores by the patient's mindset was 13.2 percent (psychological distress and pain catastrophizing together, 2.1 percent; treatment expectations and illness perceptions together, 11.1 percent). CONCLUSION: Treatment outcome expectations and comprehensibility of illness are both independently associated with the outcome of carpal tunnel release, showing the importance of these aspects of the patient's mindset for the outcome of carpal tunnel release. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Risk, III.

Psychosocial characteristics of candidates for implantable pain devices: validation of an assessment model.

Aim: To provide a detailed profile of Veteran and community patients with chronic pain who completed preprocedural psychological evaluations for implantable pain devices. Patients & methods: A total of 157 candidates completed a preimplantable pain device evaluation between June 2018 and October 2019 with a pain psychologist that included a structured interview, elicitation of patient-centered goals for the implantable device, and psychometric testing. Results: Candidates demonstrated moderate to high rates of sleep impairment (73%), depressive symptoms (62%), anxiety symptoms (61%), pain catastrophizing (37%), cognitive impairment screen (30%) and somatic symptoms (24%). Conclusion: Candidates for implantable pain devices report high rates of mood, sleep and cognitive impairment, reinforcing the value of preprocedural psychological evaluations.