A thematic synthesis of qualitative studies and surveys of the psychological experience of painful endometriosis.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a widespread problem in women of reproductive age, causing cyclical and non-cyclical pain in the pelvis and elsewhere, and associated with fatigue, fertility problems, and other symptoms. As a chronic pain problem, psychological variables are important in adjustment and quality of life, but have not been systematically studied. METHODS: A systematic search of multiple databases was conducted to obtain surveys and qualitative studies of women's experience of pain from endometriosis. Surveys were combined narratively; qualitative studies were combined by thematic synthesis, and the latter rated for methodological quality. RESULTS: Over 2000 records were screened on title and abstract, and provided 22 surveys and 33 qualitative studies from which accounts could be extracted of the psychological components of pain in endometriosis. Surveys mostly addressed quality of life in endometriosis, with poorer quality of life associated with higher levels of pain and of distress, but few referred to coherent psychological models. Qualitative studies focused rather on women's experience of living with endometriosis, including trajectories of diagnosis and treatment, with a few addressing meaning and identity. Thematic synthesis provided 10 themes, under the groupings of internal experience of endometriosis (impact on body, emotions, and life); interface with the external world (through self-regulation and social regulation); effects on interpersonal and social life, and encounters with medical care. CONCLUSIONS: The psychological components of pain from endometriosis only partly corresponded with standard psychological models of pain, derived from musculoskeletal pain studies, with fewer fears about physical integrity and more about difficulties of managing pain and other symptoms in social settings, including work. Better understanding of the particular psychological threats of endometriosis, and integration of this understanding into medical care with opportunities for psychologically-based pain management, would substantially improve the experience and quality of life of women with painful endometriosis.

Sensing behavior change in chronic pain: a scoping review of sensor technology for use in daily life.

ABSTRACT: Technology offers possibilities for quantification of behaviors and physiological changes of relevance to chronic pain, using wearable sensors and devices suitable for data collection in daily life contexts. We conducted a scoping review of wearable and passive sensor technologies that sample data of psychological interest in chronic pain, including in social situations. Sixty articles met our criteria from the 2783 citations retrieved from searching. Three-quarters of recruited people were with chronic pain, mostly musculoskeletal, and the remainder with acute or episodic pain; those with chronic pain had a mean age of 43 (few studies sampled adolescents or children) and 60% were women. Thirty-seven studies were performed in laboratory or clinical settings and the remainder in daily life settings. Most used only 1 type of technology, with 76 sensor types overall. The commonest was accelerometry (mainly used in daily life contexts), followed by motion capture (mainly in laboratory settings), with a smaller number collecting autonomic activity, vocal signals, or brain activity. Subjective self-report provided "ground truth" for pain, mood, and other variables, but often at a different timescale from the automatically collected data, and many studies reported weak relationships between technological data and relevant psychological constructs, for instance, between fear of movement and muscle activity. There was relatively little discussion of practical issues: frequency of sampling, missing data for human or technological reasons, and the users' experience, particularly when users did not receive data in any form. We conclude the review with some suggestions for content and process of future studies in this field.

Pain: Behavioural expression and response in an evolutionary framework.

An evolutionary perspective offers insights into the major public health problem of chronic (persistent) pain; behaviours associated with it perpetuate both pain and disability. Pain is motivating, and pain-related behaviours promote recovery by immediate active or passive defence; subsequent protection of wounds; suppression of competing responses; energy conservation; vigilance to threat; and learned avoidance of associated cues. When these persist beyond healing, as in chronic pain, they are disabling. In mammals, facial and bodily expression of pain is visible and identifiable by others, while social context, including conspecifics' responses, modulate pain. Studies of responses to pain emphasize onlooker empathy, but people with chronic pain report feeling disbelieved and stigmatized. Observers frequently discount others' pain, best understood in terms of cheater detection-alertness to free riders that underpins the capacity for prosocial behaviours. These dynamics occur both in everyday life and in clinical encounters, providing an account of the adaptiveness of pain-related behaviours.

Trials We Cannot Trust: Investigating Their Impact on Systematic Reviews and Clinical Guidelines in Spinal Pain.

We previously conducted an exploration of the trustworthiness of a group of clinical trials of cognitive-behavioral therapy and exercise in spinal pain. We identified multiple concerns in 8 trials, judging them untrustworthy. In this study, we systematically explored the impact of these trials ("index trials") on results, conclusions, and recommendations of systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). We conducted forward citation tracking using Google Scholar and the citationchaser tool, searched the Guidelines International Network library and National Institute of Health and Care Excellence archive to June 2022 to identify systematic reviews and CPGs. We explored how index trials impacted their findings. Where reviews presented meta-analyses, we extracted or conducted sensitivity analyses for the outcomes of pain and disability, to explore how the exclusion of index trials affected effect estimates. We developed and applied an 'Impact Index' to categorize the extent to which index studies impacted their results. We included 32 unique reviews and 10 CPGs. None directly raised concerns regarding the veracity of the trials. Across meta-analyses (55 comparisons), the removal of index trials reduced effect sizes by a median of 58% (Inter Quartlie Range (IQR) 40-74). 85% of comparisons were classified as highly, 3% as moderately, and 11% as minimally impacted. Nine out of 10 reviews conducting narrative synthesis drew positive conclusions regarding the intervention tested. Nine out of 10 CPGs made positive recommendations for the intervention(s) evaluated. This cohort of trials, with concerns regarding trustworthiness, has substantially impacted the results of systematic reviews and guideline recommendations. PERSPECTIVE: We found that a group of trials of CBT for spinal pain with concerns relating to their trustworthiness has had substantial impacts on the analyses and conclusions of systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines. This highlights the need for a greater focus on the trustworthiness of studies in evidence appraisal. PRE-REGISTRATION: Our protocol was preregistered on the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/m92ax/.

Characteristics of retracted publications related to pain research: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT: Retraction is a mechanism for correcting the scientific record and alerts readers when a study contains unreliable or flawed data. Such data may arise from error or research misconduct. Studies examining the landscape of retracted publications provide insight into the extent of unreliable data and its effect on a medical discipline. We aimed to explore the extent and characteristics of retracted publications in pain research. We searched the EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Retraction Watch databases to December 31, 2022. We included retracted articles that (1) investigated mechanisms of painful conditions, (2) tested treatments that aimed to reduce pain, or (3) measured pain as an outcome. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the included data. We included 389 pain articles published between 1993 and 2022 and retracted between 1996 and 2022. There was a significant upward trend in the number of retracted pain articles over time. Sixty-six percent of articles were retracted for reasons relating to misconduct. The median (interquartile range) time from article publication to retraction was 2 years (0.7-4.3). The time to retraction differed by reason for retraction, with data problems, comprising data falsification, duplication, and plagiarism, resulting in the longest interval (3 [1.2-5.2] years). Further investigations of retracted pain articles, including exploration of their fate postretraction, are necessary to determine the impact of unreliable data on pain research.

The Benefits and Harms of Botulinum Toxin-A in the Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes: A Systematic Review by the European Association of Urology Chronic Pelvic Pain Panel.

CONTEXT: Patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) may have pain refractory to conventional management strategies. Botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) is a potential therapeutic option. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the benefits and harms of BTX-A injections in the treatment of CPPS. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic review of the use of BTX-A in the treatment of CPPS was conducted (PROSPERO-ID: 162416). Comprehensive searches of EMBASE, PUBMED, Medline, and SCOPUS were performed for publications between January 1996 and May 2020. Identified studies were screened and selected studies assessed for quality prior to data extraction. The primary outcomes were improvement in pain and adverse events following treatment. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, global response assessment, sexual function, bowel function, and bladder function. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: After screening 1001 abstracts, 16 studies including 11 randomised controlled trials were identified, enrolling 858 patients and covering a range of CPPS subtypes. Most studies showed high risks of bias and confounding across all domains. A narrative synthesis was performed as heterogeneity of included studies precluded a meta-analysis and calculation of pooled effect estimates of measured outcomes. BTX-A reduced pain significantly in patients with bladder pain syndrome in two studies and in patients with prostate pain syndrome in one study, but no included studies showed benefit for patients with gynaecological pelvic pain. Adverse event reporting was variable and generally poor, but no serious adverse events were described. CONCLUSIONS: Beneficial effects of BTX-A on pain, quality of life, and functional symptoms were seen in patients with certain CPPS subtypes, but the current evidence level is too weak to allow recommendations about BTX-A use for treating CPPS. PATIENT SUMMARY: Botulinum toxin A is used to treat different pain disorders, but current studies are of insufficient quality to determine whether it reduces pain and improves quality of life in patients with chronic pelvic pain. Further research is needed.

Management of chronic primary pelvic pain syndromes.

Management of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) remains a huge challenge for care providers and a major burden for healthcare systems. Treating chronic pain that has no obvious cause warrants an understanding of the difficulties in managing these conditions. Chronic pain has recently been accepted as a disease in its own right by the World Health Organization, with chronic pain without obvious cause being classified as chronic primary pain. Despite innumerable treatments that have been proposed and tried to date for CPP, unimodal therapeutic options are mostly unsuccessful, especially in unselected individuals. In contrast, individualised multimodal management of CPP seems the most promising approach and may lead to an acceptable situation for a large proportion of patients. In the present review, the interdisciplinary and interprofessional European Association of Urology Chronic Pelvic Pain Guideline Group gives a contemporary overview of the most important concepts to successfully diagnose and treat this challenging disease.

Chronic pain produces hypervigilance to predator odor in mice.

The adaptive significance of acute pain (to withdraw from tissue-damaging or potentially tissue-damaging external stimuli, and to enhance the salience of the stimulus resulting in escape and avoidance learning) and tonic pain (to enforce recuperation by punishing movement) are well-accepted [1]. Pain researchers, however, generally assert that chronic pain has no adaptive significance, representing instead a pathophysiological state. This belief was recently challenged by the observation [2] that nociceptive sensitization caused by a chronic pain-producing injury reduced predation risk in squid (Doryteuthis pealeii). In that study, injury to an arm (removal of the tip with a scalpel) 6 hours prior led to increased targeting by black sea bass, resulting in decreased survival of the squid in a 30-minute trial featuring free interaction between predator and prey. The surprising finding was that anesthesia during surgery, preventing the chronic nociceptor sensitization associated with such injuries, led to even lower probability of survival. That is, the likely presence of pain increased apparent fitness, and the authors concluded that the chronic pain state and its associated nociceptive sensitization represented an adaptive function. Pain-induced defensive behaviors affecting fitness have also been reported in crustaceans (Gammarus fossarum) [3]. It is, however, currently unknown whether this may also be true in any other species, including in Mammalia.

Group Differences Between Countries and Between Languages in Pain-Related Beliefs, Coping, and Catastrophizing in Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the extent to which pain-related beliefs, appraisals, coping, and catastrophizing differ between countries, language groups, and country economy. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Two independent reviewers searched 15 databases without restriction for date or language of publication. Studies comparing pain beliefs/appraisals, coping, or catastrophizing across two or more countries or language groups in adults with chronic pain (pain for longer than three months) were included. Two independent reviewers extracted data and performed the quality appraisal. Study quality was rated as low, moderate, or high using a 10-item modified STROBE checklist. Effect sizes were reported as small (0.20-0.49), medium (0.50-0.79), or large (≥0.80). RESULTS: We retrieved 1,365 articles, read 42 potential full texts, and included 10 (four moderate-quality, six low-quality) studies. A total of 6,797 adults with chronic pain (33% with chronic low back pain) were included from 16 countries. Meta-analysis was not performed because of heterogeneity in the studies. A total of 103 effect sizes were computed for individual studies, some of which indicated between-country differences in pain beliefs, coping, and catastrophizing. Of these, the majority of effect sizes for pain beliefs/appraisal (60%; eight large, eight medium, and eight small), for coping (60%; seven large, 11 medium, and 16 small), and for catastrophizing (50%; two medium, one small) evidenced statistically significant between-country differences, although study quality was low to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: In 50% or more of the studies, mean scores in the measures of pain beliefs and appraisals, coping responses, and catastrophizing were significantly different between people from different countries.

Benefits and Harms of Electrical Neuromodulation for Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: Patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) may have pain refractory to conventional pain management strategies. Neuromodulation could provide relief of pain. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the benefits and harms of neuromodulation for CPP. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A comprehensive search of EMBASE, PUBMED, and SCOPUS was performed for the entire database to January 2018. Studies were selected, data were extracted, and quality was assessed by two independent reviewers. A meta-analysis was used to combine randomized controlled trials (RCTs); otherwise, a narrative analysis was used. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: After screening 1311 abstracts, 36 studies including eight RCTs were identified, enrolling 1099 patients. Studies covered a broad range in terms of phenotypes of CPP and methods of neuromodulation. A meta-analysis was possible for percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, which showed improvement in pain. Only narrative synthesis was possible for other modalities (sacral nerve stimulation, spinal cord stimulation, intravaginal electrical stimulation, and pudendal nerve stimulation) which appeared to reduce pain in patients with CPP. Treatments generally improved quality of life but with variable reporting of adverse events. Many studies showed high risks of bias and confounding. CONCLUSIONS: While electrical neuromodulation may improve symptoms in CPP, further work is needed with high-quality studies to confirm it. PATIENT SUMMARY: Neuromodulation may be useful in reducing pain and improving quality of life in patients with chronic pelvic pain, but more research is needed.

The National Pain Audit for specialist pain services in England and Wales 2010-2014.

INTRODUCTION: Numerous reports highlight variations in pain clinic provision between services, particularly in the provision of multidisciplinary services and length of waiting times. A National Audit aims to identify and quantify these variations, to facilitate raising standards of care in identified areas of need. This article describes a Quality Improvement Programme cycle covering England and Wales that used such an approach to remedy the paucity of data on the current state of UK pain clinics. METHODS: Clinics were audited over a 4-year period using standards developed by the Faculty of Pain Medicine of The Royal College of Anaesthetists. Reporting was according to guidance from a recent systematic review of national surveys of pain clinics. A range of quality improvement measures was introduced via a series of roadshows led by the British Pain Society. RESULTS: 94% of clinics responded to the first audit and 83% responded to the second. Per annum, 0.4% of the total national population was estimated to attend a specialist pain service. A significant improvement in multidisciplinary staffing was found (35-56%, p < 0.001) over the 4-year audit programme, although this still requires improvement. Very few clinics achieved recommended evidence-based waiting times, although only 2.5% fell outside government targets; this did not improve. Safety standards were generally met. Clinicians often failed to code diagnoses. CONCLUSION: A National Audit found that while generally safe many specialist pain services in England and Wales fell below recommended standards of care. Waiting times and staffing require improvement if patients are to get effective and timely care. Diagnostic coding also requires improvement.

Symptom reduction and improved function in chronic CRPS type 1 after 12-week integrated, interdisciplinary therapy.

Background and aims Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) often recovers spontaneously within the first year, but when it becomes chronic, available rehabilitative therapies (pharmacological management, physiotherapy, and psychological intervention) have limited effectiveness. This study examined the effect of a 12-week intensive outpatient rehabilitation on pain relief and function in chronic CRPS patients. Rehabilitation program included memantine and morphine treatment (added to patient's prior pain medication) and concurrent psychological and physiotherapeutic intervention. Primary outcome measure was a change in CRPS symptom count and secondary outcomes were motor performance, psychological factors, pain intensity, and quality of life. Methods Ten patients with chronic upper limb CRPS I (median 2.9 years, range 8 months to 12 years) were recruited to the study and were assessed before and after the intervention. Hand motor function of the patients was evaluated by an independent physiotherapist. There were standardized questionnaires for depression, pain anxiety, pain acceptance, quality of life, and CRPS symptom count. In addition, psychological factors were evaluated by a semi-structured interview. Severity of experienced pain was rated at movement and at rest. In addition, a video experiment of a hand action observation was conducted pre- and post-intervention to study possible change in neuronal maladaptation. Intervention consisted of pharmacological, psychological and physiotherapeutic treatment. First, 10 mg daily morphine was started and increased gradually to 30 mg daily, if tolerated. After 30 mg/day or tolerated dose of morphine was achieved, 5 mg daily memantine was started and increased gradually to 40 mg, if tolerated. Psychological intervention consisted of weekly group sessions, using cognitive and behavioral methods (relaxation, behavioral activation, and exposure) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and daily home practice. Physiotherapeutic intervention consisted of graded motor imagery and physiotherapy exercises with weekly group sessions and/or individual guidance by the physiotherapist, and individual exercise of the affected upper limb. Results Multimodal intensive intervention resulted in significant decrease in CRPS symptom count. The effect was strongest in motor and trophic symptoms (19% decrease after intervention) and in sensory symptoms (18% decrease). Additionally, improvement was seen in some, but not all, secondary outcomes (movement pain, motor symptoms, change in perceptions during video experiment of hand actions, and summary index with motor functioning, pain, and psychological factors). There were no dropouts. Conclusions Intensive 12-week multimodal intervention reduced some CRPS symptoms but was not sufficient to alter patients' rest pain, distress, or quality of life. Implications These results support the efficacy of an interdisciplinary rehabilitation program for pain and function in chronic CRPS patients. After intervention, some CRPS symptoms reduced and function improved, but distress and quality of life were unchanged. This may be due to the relatively short duration of this program; to delayed effects; to particular cognitive problems of CPRS patients; and/or to low distress levels at baseline that make statistically significant reduction less likely.

CBT to reduce healthcare use for medically unexplained symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Studies have reported that medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) tend to be associated with increased healthcare use, which is demanding of resources and potentially harmful to patients. This association is often used to justify the funding and study of psychological interventions for MUS, yet no systematic review has specifically examined the efficacy of psychological interventions in reducing healthcare use. AIM: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT) for MUS in reducing healthcare use. DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHOD: The search from a previous systematic review was updated and expanded. Twenty-two randomised controlled trials reported healthcare use, of which 18 provided data for meta-analysis. Outcomes were healthcare contacts, healthcare costs, medication, and medical investigations. RESULTS: Small reductions in healthcare contacts and medication use were found for CBT compared with active controls, treatment as usual, and waiting list controls, but not for medical investigations or healthcare costs. CONCLUSION: Cognitive behavioural interventions show weak benefits in reducing healthcare use in people with MUS. The imprecise use of MUS as a diagnostic label may impact on the effectiveness of interventions, and it is likely that the diversity and complexity of these difficulties may necessitate a more targeted approach.

Psychosocial factors associated with persistent pain in people with HIV: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Chronic pain remains a prevalent and disabling problem for people living with HIV in the current antiretroviral treatment era. Psychosocial treatments may have promise for managing the impact of this pain. However, research is needed to identify psychosocial processes to target through such treatments. The current systematic review and meta-analysis examined the evidence for psychosocial factors associated with pain, disability, and quality of life in people living with HIV and persistent pain. Observational and experimental studies reporting on the association between one or more psychosocial factors and one or more pain-related variables in an adult sample of people living with HIV and pain were eligible. Two reviewers independently conducted eligibility screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. Forty-six studies were included in the review and 37 of these provided data for meta-analyses (12,493 participants). "Some" or "moderate" evidence supported an association between pain outcomes in people with HIV and the following psychosocial factors: depression, psychological distress, posttraumatic stress, drug abuse, sleep disturbance, reduced antiretroviral adherence, health care use, missed HIV clinic visits, unemployment, and protective psychological factors. Surprisingly, few studies examined protective psychological factors or social processes, such as stigma. There were few high-quality studies. These findings can inform future research and psychosocial treatment development in this area. Greater theoretical and empirical focus is needed to examine the role of protective factors and social processes on pain outcomes in this context. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42016036329).