Although a variety of pain and physical functioning outcome measures have been reported in the literature , few have demonstrate method ologically strong psychometric properties .
INTRODUCTION A range of outcome measures across various domains are used to evaluate change following an intervention in clinical trials on chronic neuropathic pain ( NeP ) .
However , to capture a real change in the variable of interest , the psychometric properties of a particular measure should demonstrate appropriate method ological quality .
Various outcome measures in the domains of pain and physical functioning have been used in the literature for NeP , for which individual properties ( eg , reliability/validity ) have been reported .
Development of a severity score for CRPS
& NA ; The clinical diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome ( CRPS ) is a dichotomous ( yes/no ) categorization necessary for clinical decision‐making . However , such dichotomous diagnostic categories do not convey an individual 's subtle and temporal gradations in severity of the condition , and have poor statistical power when used as an outcome measure in research . This study evaluated the validity and potential utility of a continuous type score to index severity of CRPS . Psychometric and medical evaluations were conducted in 114 CRPS patients and 41 non‐CRPS neuropathic pain patients . Based on the presence/absence of 17 clinical ly‐assessed signs and symptoms of CRPS , an overall CRPS Severity Score ( CSS ) was derived . The CSS discriminated well between CRPS and non‐CRPS patients ( p < .001 ) , and displayed strong associations with dichotomous CRPS diagnoses using both IASP diagnostic criteria ( Eta = 0.69 ) and proposed revised criteria ( Eta = 0.77–0.88 ) . Higher CSS was associated with significantly higher clinical pain intensity , distress , and functional impairments , as well as greater bilateral temperature asymmetry and thermal perception abnormalities ( p ’s < .05 ) . In an archival prospect i ve data set , increases in anxiety and depression from pre‐surgical baseline to 4 weeks post‐knee arthroplasty were found to predict significantly higher CSS at 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up ( p ’s < .05 ) . Results indicate the CSS corresponds with and complements currently accepted dichotomous diagnostic criteria for CRPS , and support its validity as an index of CRPS severity . Its utility as an outcome measure in research studies is also suggested , with potential statistical advantages over dichotomous diagnostic criteria
Although a variety of pain and physical functioning outcome measures have been reported in the literature , few have demonstrate method ologically strong psychometric properties .
INTRODUCTION A range of outcome measures across various domains are used to evaluate change following an intervention in clinical trials on chronic neuropathic pain ( NeP ) .
However , to capture a real change in the variable of interest , the psychometric properties of a particular measure should demonstrate appropriate method ological quality .
Various outcome measures in the domains of pain and physical functioning have been used in the literature for NeP , for which individual properties ( eg , reliability/validity ) have been reported .