title: A population-based study of quantitative sensory testing in adolescents with and without chronic pain.
abstract: Quantitative sensory testing (QST) has been used to characterize pain sensitivity in individuals with and without pain conditions. Research remains limited in pediatric populations, hindering the ability to expand the utility of QST toward its potential application in clinical settings and clinical predictive value. The aims of this study were to examine pain sensitivity using QST in adolescents with chronic pain compared to adolescents without chronic pain and identify predictors of pain sensitivity. A population-based study conducted from 2010 to 2011 provided data on 941 adolescents, 197 were classified as having chronic pain and 744 were classified without chronic pain. Self-reported data on pain characteristics, psychological functioning, and QST responses were examined. The findings revealed lower pressure pain threshold and tolerance on the trapezius (P's = 0.03) in adolescents with chronic pain compared to adolescents without chronic pain, but no differences on heat or cold-pressor pain tasks. Female sex (P's = 0.02) and poorer psychological functioning (P's = 0.02) emerged as significant predictors of greater pain sensitivity across all pain modalities. Exploratory analyses revealed several associations between clinical pain characteristics and QST responses within the chronic pain cohort. Findings from this large pediatric sample provide comprehensive data that could serve as normative data on QST responses in adolescents with and without chronic pain. These findings lay the groundwork toward developing future QST research and study protocols in pediatric populations, taking into consideration sex and psychological distress.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.|Seattle Children's Research Institute, WA, USA.
authors: See Wan
authors: SW
authors: Tham
authors: Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.|Seattle Children's Research Institute, WA, USA.
authors: Tonya M
authors: TM
authors: Palermo
authors: Institute of Development and Disability, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors: Amy Lewandowski
authors: AL
authors: Holley
authors: Seattle Children's Research Institute, WA, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, WA, USA.
authors: Chuan
authors: C
authors: Zhou
authors: Department of Pain Management and Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.|University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Audun
authors: A
authors: Stubhaug
authors: Department of Community Medicine, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.|Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
authors: Anne-Sofie
authors: AS
authors: Furberg
authors: Department of Pain Management and Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Ageing and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Christopher Sivert
authors: CS
authors: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D018672:Community Health Planning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult