The Role of Sensory Processing Sensitivity in Pediatric Chronic Pain

NCT ID: NCT04473014

Last Updated: 2022-05-18

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 100 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-06-21
• Study Completion Date: 2022-05-15

Brief Summary

The aim of this project is to increase scientific understanding of whether the trait of SPS can help explain increased pain sensitivity and hence vulnerability for chronic pain. Additionally, it will be tested whether participants with high SPS report differences in pain intensity in response to positive, negative, or neutral mood induction compared to individuals with lower SPS.

Detailed Description

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 whether the trait of SPS can help explain increased pain sensitivity and hence vulnerability for chronic pain. Additionally, it will be tested whether participants with high SPS report differences in pain intensity in response to positive, negative, or neutral mood induction compared to individuals with lower SPS.

Methods: To examine differences in pain perception of an experimentally induced pain stimulus between people with varying levels of SPS and whether pain perception can modulated by positive, negative, or neutral mood induction, I will apply a heat pain paradigm in a sample of healthy adolescents. Participants will be randomized to either neutral, positive or negative mood induction and I will test whether their pain sensitivity differs as a function of their scores on a high sensitivity scale and with regard to mood induction.

Expected Results: We expect highly sensitive adolescents to have a lower pain threshold and tolerance and to react more strongly to positive (with decreased pain ratings) and negative (with increased pain ratings) mood induction compared to those with lower scores on the sensitivity scale.

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: OTHER
• Study Time Perspective: OTHER

Study Groups

Positive Mood

This group will be exposed to a positive mood induction prior to heat pain.

Heat Pain Paradigm

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

A standardized heat pain paradigm will be applied. Pain threshold will be determined with the self-controlled search method starting at 32°C, with a mouse-click-induced increase of 0.1°C per click. Pain tolerance is defined as the time in seconds elapsed from the onset of the pain stimulus to a participant's withdrawal from the stimulus. Participants will be instructed to continue with the task for as long as they can and to press a button if it becomes too uncomfortable or painful. Temperature will then return to baseline. To avoid physical injury, the measurement will stop automatically at a maximum temperature of 50°C.

Negative Mood

This group will be exposed to a negative mood induction prior to heat pain.

Heat Pain Paradigm

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

A standardized heat pain paradigm will be applied. Pain threshold will be determined with the self-controlled search method starting at 32°C, with a mouse-click-induced increase of 0.1°C per click. Pain tolerance is defined as the time in seconds elapsed from the onset of the pain stimulus to a participant's withdrawal from the stimulus. Participants will be instructed to continue with the task for as long as they can and to press a button if it becomes too uncomfortable or painful. Temperature will then return to baseline. To avoid physical injury, the measurement will stop automatically at a maximum temperature of 50°C.

Neutral Mood

This group will be exposed to a neutral mood induction prior to heat pain.

Heat Pain Paradigm

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

A standardized heat pain paradigm will be applied. Pain threshold will be determined with the self-controlled search method starting at 32°C, with a mouse-click-induced increase of 0.1°C per click. Pain tolerance is defined as the time in seconds elapsed from the onset of the pain stimulus to a participant's withdrawal from the stimulus. Participants will be instructed to continue with the task for as long as they can and to press a button if it becomes too uncomfortable or painful. Temperature will then return to baseline. To avoid physical injury, the measurement will stop automatically at a maximum temperature of 50°C.

Interventions

Heat Pain Paradigm

A standardized heat pain paradigm will be applied. Pain threshold will be determined with the self-controlled search method starting at 32°C, with a mouse-click-induced increase of 0.1°C per click. Pain tolerance is defined as the time in seconds elapsed from the onset of the pain stimulus to a participant's withdrawal from the stimulus. Participants will be instructed to continue with the task for as long as they can and to press a button if it becomes too uncomfortable or painful. Temperature will then return to baseline. To avoid physical injury, the measurement will stop automatically at a maximum temperature of 50°C.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy adolescents aged 16-19 years

Exclusion Criteria

• Chronic pain or another chronic condition
• Skin pathologies
• Sensory abnormalities affecting the tactile or thermal modality
• Pregnancy
• Current medication
• Current psychological or psychiatric treatment
• Insufficient language skills to understand the instructions

• Minimum Eligible Age: 16 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 19 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Helen Koechlin

Adjunct Senior Researcher

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Helen Koechlin, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Basel, Switzerland; Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

Locations

Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel

Basel, , Switzerland

Countries

Switzerland

Other Identifiers

Heat Pain

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id