title: Pain in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: a psychological perspective.
abstract: Pain in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is often underestimated and untreated by clinicians and few studies have investigated its specific features and impact. Pain experience was investigated with the Italian Questionnaire of Pain, together with the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire for quality of life (QoL), at a baseline and at a 4-month follow-up. About half of ALS patients reported pain, described as nagging, sore, annoying, boring and exhausting, with periodic but enduring episodes. Pain was related with QoL and its intensity was able to predict QoL worsening. Obtained results indicate the importance of clinical investigation of pain in ALS patients and of the intervention with anti-pain treatment whenever necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, Via Nirone, 15, 20123 Milan, Italy. francesco.pagnini@unicatt.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pagnini
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lunetta
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Banfi
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fossati
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castelnuovo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corbo
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Molinari
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires