ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: The results of previous studies using retrospective methods or small samples have suggested that there may be psychosocial risk factors for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). We conducted a prospective study in which 110 patients with herpes zoster were assessed within the first month after rash onset with measures of acute pain and five broad domains of psychosocial functioning-physical, role, social, and emotional functioning, and stress and social support. Twenty of the 102 patients with follow-up data were diagnosed with PHN, defined as pain that had persisted for 4 months after rash onset. Measures of role functioning, personality disorder symptoms, and disease conviction during herpes zoster each made independent contributions to predicting either presence or intensity of PHN in logistic and linear regression analyses that controlled for relevant demographic and clinical variables, including age and acute pain intensity. These findings indicate that psychosocial variables are risk factors for the development of PHN. PERSPECTIVE: The results of this prospective study of patients with herpes zoster suggest that future research on the mechanisms and prevention of PHN should consider psychosocial as well as neurobiologic processes.
Subject(s)
Herpes Zoster/complications , Neuralgia, Postherpetic/epidemiology , Neuralgia, Postherpetic/psychology , Peripheral Nerves/physiopathology , Activities of Daily Living , Acute Disease/epidemiology , Acute Disease/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Affective Symptoms/epidemiology , Affective Symptoms/psychology , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neuralgia, Postherpetic/physiopathology , Peripheral Nerves/virology , Prospective Studies , Psychology , Regression Analysis , Risk Factors , Sick Role , Social Support , Stress, Psychological/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Although the effects of postherpetic neuralgia on physical and emotional functioning have been examined in a number of studies, the impact of acute pain in herpes zoster ("shingles") on health-related quality of life has been neglected. We describe the characteristics of herpes zoster pain and examine its relationship to physical, role, social, and emotional functioning in 110 patients with herpes zoster. When we controlled for relevant covariates, we found that greater pain burden, as assessed by the product of pain intensity and duration, was associated with poorer physical functioning, increased emotional distress, and decreased role and social functioning. The results demonstrate that herpes zoster pain has broad effects on the daily lives of patients and on their emotional health. The increasing incidence of herpes zoster that can be anticipated as the population ages requires that clinical trials that examine interventions to prevent or treat herpes zoster pain be given a high priority.