Overlapping Pain Trajectory Study

Launched by CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER, CINCINNATI · Feb 21, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The Overlapping Pain Trajectory Study is a research project designed to understand how young people with chronic pain experience and process pain differently compared to those with localized pain or healthy individuals. This study focuses on adolescents aged 10 to 18 years who either have chronic overlapping pain conditions, such as migraines or widespread pain, or are healthy volunteers. The researchers want to find out if the way these young people filter pain signals from their bodies is disrupted, which may help explain why some develop more complex pain issues.

To participate, eligible individuals must be English-speaking and have access to the internet for surveys. Patients should have a diagnosed chronic pain condition, while healthy volunteers should have no history of chronic pain. Participants will undergo various assessments, including tests to measure how they respond to pain, provide a blood sample, and complete questionnaires about their sleep and pain experiences. This study aims to gather important information that could lead to better understanding and treatment of chronic pain in adolescents.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. General Criteria
• • Access to the internet either by laptop, tablet, or phone (for REDCap Surveys)
• • English-speaking
• • Parent or guardian willing to comply with protocol, complete study assessments, and provide written informed consent
• • 2. Control Specific Criteria
• • No history/active chronic pain
• • 3. Patient Specific Criteria
• • Patients will need a diagnosis of a chronic pain derived congruent with ICD-11 criteria related to headache (migraine, daily headache), abdominal (FAPD), localized MSK (single limb/joint, low back or chest pain), or diffuse MSK (widespread MSK pain)
• • If on medications, they need to be on stable doses of prescribed pain and/or psychiatric medications for 4 weeks before the baseline study visit.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. General Criteria
• • Skin conditions (e.g., eczema) or past skin damage on the arms and legs in or near sites of sensory testing
• • Any comorbid rheumatic disease (e.g., arthritis, lupus), neurological (e.g., epilepsy, traumatic brain injury) or medical condition (e.g., cancer, diabetes)
• • 2. Control Specific Criteria
• • Taking medications that can alter pain sensitivity (e.g., NSAIDs, opioids, stimulants, anticonvulsants; psychiatric)
• • 3. Patient Specific Criteria
• • Present psychiatric disease as defined by DSM IV (e.g. psychosis, bipolar disorder, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder), alcohol or drug dependence, or documented developmental delays or impairments (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD, or mental retardation) that, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with adherence to study requirements or safe participation in the study