Influence of Trauma on Pain Area and Widespreadness in Chronic Pain Patients

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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It is well known that patients suffering from chronic pain report higher levels of pain, anxiety, and depression if they have experienced a traumatic event. However, little is know about pain area and widespreadness. In this retrospective study, we want to investigate whether pain area and widespreadness differs in chronic pain patients with and without traumatic events. To test this hypothesis we will retrospectively analyse pain drawings collected at the pain outpatient department from Hannover Medical School. Participants will be divided into four groups depending on the severity of their traumatic events: no trauma; accidental trauma; interpersonal trauma; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Official Title
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Influence of Trauma on Pain Area and Widespreadness in Chronic Pain Patients

Conditions
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Chronic Pain, Trauma

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Chronic pain Exclusion Criteria: None
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No trauma<br>Patients suffering from chronic pain without traumatic life events | |
| Accidental trauma<br>Patients suffering from chronic pain who have experienced at least one accidental trauma | |
| Interpersonal trauma<br>Patients suffering from chronic pain who have experienced at least one interpersonal trauma | |
| PTSD<br>Patients suffering from chronic pain and diagnosed with PTSD | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Difference in pain area | Pain area derived from electronic pain drawings (SymptomMapper). The score ranges from 0 to 100% body area. | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 
| Difference in pain widespreadness | Widespread pain index (WPI) derived from electronic pain drawings (SymptomMapper). The score ranges from 0 (no pain) to 19 (pain affects all possible regions). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Difference in current pain | Visual analogue scale from 0 (no pain) to 100 (maximal imaginable pain). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 
| Difference in mean pain in the last four weeks | Visual analogue scale from 0 (no pain) to 100 (maximal imaginable pain). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 
| Difference in maximal pain in the last four weeks | Visual analogue scale from 0 (no pain) to 100 (maximal imaginable pain). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 
| Difference in acceptable pain | Visual analogue scale from 0 (no pain) to 100 (maximal imaginable pain). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 
| Difference in sleep impairment | Visual analogue scale from 0 (no impairment) to 100 (maximal imaginable impairment). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 
| Difference in pain-related disability | Pain-related disability assessed via the Pain Disability Index (PDI). The score ranges from 0 (no pain-related disability) to 70 (maximal disability). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 
| Difference in depression | Depression assessed via the 9-item depression scale (PHQ-9) from the German version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D). The score ranges from 0 (no depression) to 27 (maximal depression). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 
| Difference in somatic symptoms | Somatic symptoms assessed via the 15-item somatic scale (PHQ-15) from the German version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D). The score ranges from 0 (no somatic symptom burden) to 30 (maximal somatic symptom burden). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 
| Difference in anxiety | Anxiety assessed via the 7-item anxiety scale (GAD-7) from the German version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D). The score ranges from 0 (no anxiety) to 21 (maximal anxiety). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 | 
| Difference in stress | Stress assessed via the 10-item stress scale (PHQ-Stress) from the German version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D). The score ranges from 0 (no stress) to 20 (maximal stress). | First visit of each patient at the Pain outpatient department of Hannover Medical School between 2019-02-28 and 2020-07-07 |