Survey on Sensory Processing Sensitivity in Chronic Pediatric Pain

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Background: Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience and in its chronic form, pain is highly prevalent, up to 25% of children and adolescents are affected by it. The exact etiology of many forms of chronic pain remains unknown. One mechanism that has been proposed to underlie increased pain sensitivity is central sensitization, i.e., increased efficacy of the nervous system in transmitting pain signals, which manifests itself as a lower pain threshold. A lower pain threshold in turn has been recognized as a risk factor for the development of chronic pain. Being more sensitive to pain is one feature commonly shared by those with high sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), who are thought to react more strongly to both positive and negative environmental influences. The relationship between this increased sensitivity and pain tolerance has not been studied to date, but could contribute to our understanding of why some children and adolescents are more vulnerable to developing chronic pain than others. Objectives and Aims: The aim of this project is to increase scientific understanding of 1) the distribution and correlates of high SPS among children and adolescents suffering from chronic pain, and 2) whether the trait of SPS can help explain increased pain sensitivity and hence vulnerability for chronic pain. Methods: To determine the distribution (aim 1a) and correlates (aim 1b) of SPS among a population of children and adolescents suffering from chronic pain, an online survey will be conducted. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires about their SPS as well as pain history and pain characteristics. The distribution of SPS will then be compared to an existing distribution in a sample of healthy children and adolescents.

Official Title
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Towards a Deeper Understanding of Chronic Pediatric Pain: Exploring the Role of Sensory Processing Sensitivity

Conditions
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Chronic Pain

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: no intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Adolescents aged 17-19 years Persistent or recurrent pain for 3 months or more Fluent in German or English Exclusion Criteria: Younger than 17 or older than 19 years Acute pain

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 17 Years
Maximum Age: 19 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Other: no intervention|observational study, no intervention|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Highly Sensitive Child Scale | Sensory Processing Sensitivity | through study completion, an average of 6 months | 
| Functional Disability Inventory for children | Physical functioning and disability in children with chronic pain | through study completion, an average of 6 months |