The Role of Sensory Processing Sensitivity in Pediatric Chronic Pain

Completed

• Conditions: Chronic Pain
• Interventions: Behavioral: Heat Pain Paradigm

• Registration Number: NCT04473014
• Lead Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

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.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2020-06-30
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-07-10
• Study First Posted: 2020-07-16
• Study Start: 2021-06-21
• Primary Completion: 2022-04-30
• Status Verified: 2022-05
• Study Completion: 2022-05-15
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-05-17
• Last Update Posted: 2022-05-18

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 100

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

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Positive Mood	Heat Pain Paradigm	This group will be exposed to a positive mood induction prior to heat pain.
Neutral Mood	Heat Pain Paradigm	This group will be exposed to a neutral mood induction prior to heat pain.
Negative Mood	Heat Pain Paradigm	This group will be exposed to a negative mood induction prior to heat pain.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain Tolerance	1 day	the time in seconds elapsed from the onset of the pain stimulus to a participant's withdrawal from the stimulus
Pain Threshold	1 day	Temperature point where participants feel it changing from "hot" to "painful"

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel; 🇨🇭 Basel, Switzerland