ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire, English version (PSQ-E), is predictive of pain-related responses to experimental stimuli. Ethnic differences have been noted in experimental measures of pain sensation using quantitative sensory testing. The present study sought to determine if the PSQ-E also identified similar ethnic differences. METHODS: Fifty-seven subjects who self-identified as African Americans (AAs) and who were scheduled to undergo a low-back interventional procedure completed the PSQ-E and other questionnaires. Their data were compared with an age-, sex-, and opioid usage-matched sample of 57 self-identified non-Hispanic white (NHW) subjects. Pain ratings on a visual analog scale (VAS) were obtained following 2 standardized injections of subcutaneous lidocaine (VAS1-infiltration in hand, VAS2-infiltration of procedural site). Correlations between PSQ-E scores, VAS measures, and other inventories were tested. RESULTS: The PSQ-E scores and clinical and experimental pain scores were all significantly elevated in AA compared with NHW patients (P < 0.05 for experimental pain scores, P < 0.001 for PSQ and clinical pain scores). Measures of pain interference, depression, anxiety, and pain catastrophizing were not different between groups. Similar to our previous study, PSQ-E scores significantly correlated with both experimental and clinical pain scores (eg, PSQ-E with Brief Pain Inventory pain score: r = 0.39, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated significantly elevated pain sensitivity in AA compared with NHW patients as measured by the PSQ-E and experimental and clinical pain intensity scores. This shows that the PSQ reflects the known elevation of pain sensitivity in AA subjects and suggests that it may be useful in assessing pain treatment disparities by identifying and standardizing differences in pain sensitivity.
Subject(s)
Black or African American/psychology , Low Back Pain/diagnosis , Low Back Pain/ethnology , Pain Measurement/methods , Pain Perception , Pain Threshold/ethnology , Surveys and Questionnaires , White People/psychology , Female , Health Status Disparities , Humans , Low Back Pain/physiopathology , Low Back Pain/psychology , Male , Middle Aged , Predictive Value of Tests , Prospective Studies , Reproducibility of Results , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) is predictive of pain-related responses to experimental stimuli in German-speaking individuals. Here, we explored the validation of the English translation of the PSQ (PSQ-E). METHODS: One hundred thirty-six patients scheduled to undergo a low back interventional procedure completed the PSQ-E and other questionnaires including the Brief Pain Inventory. Pain ratings on a visual analog scale (VAS) were obtained following 2 standardized injections of subcutaneous lidocaine (VAS 1, infiltration in hand; VAS 2, infiltration of procedural site). The VAS measures were compared with the PSQ-E data and other inventories using linear regression analysis with stepwise selection of variables. RESULTS: The PSQ-E properties were in all respects similar to those of the original German PSQ. VAS 1 magnitude was predicted by PSQ-E-minor (r = 0.26, P < 0.01). VAS 2 magnitude was predicted by PSQ-E-minor (r = 0.34, P < 0.001), and the prediction was significantly enhanced by further inclusion of the Brief Pain Inventory interference score (total r = 0.40, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that a significant correlation exists between the PSQ-E and clinically relevant pain ratings. This study validates the PSQ-E both in terms of measuring pain sensitivity and as possible means of recognizing patients with high pain sensitivity. Defining this subset of patients may have clinical utility in the future.
