Precision Pain Self-Management in Young Adults With Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Condition: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
MeSH terms: Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Syndrome
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This pilot project will provide foundational information about the contextual factors of
      irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) related pain (pain catastrophizing, perceived stress,
      reactivity pain sensitivity, genetic and microbiome) on pain self-management (SM) process and
      outcomes. In addition, the investigators will gain insight on the potential impact of the
      personalized IBS-pain SM approach on pain SM behaviors and health outcomes.
    

Detailed description: 
      Intense, recurrent abdominal (visceral) pain is a predominant symptom of irritable bowel
      syndrome (IBS), a functional gut disorder that typically manifests in the early adult years.
      IBS is common with prevalence reaching over 20% in some regions of the world, and affects
      more women than men. While women report more severe IBS-related pain, both younger men and
      women report more severe pain compared to older adult cohorts. Direct costs of care and lost
      productivity in the U.S. exceed $21 billion annually, and individuals with IBS utilize more
      healthcare services than the general population, including outpatient visits, diagnostic
      testing and over-the-counter and prescription medications. Individuals with IBS report that
      pain is the most distressing symptom and has the greatest impact on quality of life, however,
      current approaches to improve self- management of IBS-related pain do not target individual,
      context-specific factors of pain. Therefore, individuals with IBS-related pain often endure a
      long and frustrating course of learning how to manage pain on their own accord. The proposed
      pilot project was developed based on this common situation and will provide feasibility data
      about the influence of providing a personalized pain SM intervention to individuals with
      IBS-related pain. IBS-related pain is associated with sensitization of the central nervous
      system, and approximately half of all patients with IBS have visceral hypersensitivity. These
      alterations in pain processing escalate pain perception, and can increase vulnerability to
      other co-morbid pain disorders which individuals with IBS frequently suffer. Pain
      sensitization is influenced by pain-sensitivity genes and, specific to IBS-related pain, the
      gut microbiome. Therefore, as contextual factors of pain associated with IBS, the
      investigators will measure peripheral and central sensitivity, single-nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) of candidate pain-sensitivity genes and the gut microbiome. The SM
      intervention was designed to provide factual information about IBS pain, triggers of pain and
      pain SM skills. The experimental group will receive one-on-one consultation tailored around
      the individual's assessment results of peripheral and central pain sensitivity as measured by
      quantitative sensory testing (QST) and targeted toward increasing pain self-efficacy and
      self-regulation skills and abilities. The proposed pilot project will provide foundational
      information about the contextual factors of IBS pain (pain catastrophizing, perceived stress,
      reactivity pain sensitivity, genetic and microbiome) on pain SM process and outcomes. In
      addition, the investigators will gain insight on the potential impact of the personalized
      IBS-pain SM approach on pain SM behaviors and health outcomes.
    

Intervention name(s): Personalized IBS Pain SM
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care
Keywords: Young Adults; IBS; Self Management; Pain; Gut microbiome; Genetics; Online education