Assessment of somatosensory profiles by quantitative sensory testing in children and adolescents with and without cerebral palsy and chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated differences in somatosensory profiles (SSPs) assessed by quantitative sensory testing in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CCP) with and without chronic pain and compared these differences to those in a group of typically developed children and adolescents (TDC) with and without chronic pain. METHOD: All included subjects were consecutively recruited from and tested at the same outpatient orthopedic clinic by the same investigator. The subjects had their reaction times tested. The SSP consisted of the following tests: warmth (WDT), cool (CDT), mechanical (MDT), and vibration (VDT) detection thresholds; heat (HPT), pressure (PPT), and mechanical (MPT) pain thresholds; wind-up ratio (WUR); dynamic mechanical allodynia (DMA) and cold pressor test (CPT) using a conditioned pain modulation (CPM) paradigm. RESULTS: We included 25 CCP and 26 TDC. TDC without chronic pain served as controls. In TDC with chronic pain, WDT, HPT, HPT intensity, and PPT were higher than in controls. No differences in SSPs between CCP with and without chronic pain were observed. In CCP, the MDT, WDT, CDT, and HPT intensity were higher than in controls. CCP had longer reaction times than TDC. There were no differences regarding the remaining variables. DISCUSSION: In CCP, the SSPs were independent of pain status and findings on MR images. In all CCP the SSPs resembled TDC with chronic pain, compared to TDC without chronic pain. This suggests that CCP do not have the normal neuroplastic adaptive processes that activate and elicit functional changes in the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Non-pharmacological and non-surgical treatment of pain in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: A scoping review.

PURPOSE: To explore the existing literature on non-pharmacological and non-surgical pain management in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: Databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, and PsycINFO) were systematically searched to identify literature on non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions for relieving pain in children with CP or similar conditions. RESULTS: Thirteen publications met the inclusion criteria. Based on study designs, the overall level of evidence of the included studies was low, justifying the use of a scoping review. Only three were randomized controlled trials. Pain reduction was reported in 8 of the 13 studies from following interventions: physiotherapy/rehabilitation, massage, cranial osteopathy, swimming and aquatics, and assistive devices. These complementary strategies should not omit conventional treatment, and a multidisciplinary approach using multifaceted treatment of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy is recommended to increase the pain-relieving effect. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that physiotherapy, massage, swimming exercise, and various assistive devices can have pain-relieving effects. We found limited evidence on the topic of non-pharmacological and non-surgical treatment of pain in children with CP. Due to the lack of power in the included studies, no true evidence-based recommendations can be made from the collected articles; thus, further studies with larger cohorts and more power are needed to substantiate evidence-based treatment of pain in children and adolescents with CP.

Measuring Effects on Pain and Quality of Life after Abobotulinum Toxin A Injections in Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Sixty-seven percent of children with cerebral palsy (CCP) experience pain. Pain is closely interrelated to diminished quality of life. Despite this, pain is an overlooked and undertreated clinical problem. The objective of this study was to examine the analgesic effect of a single lower extremity intramuscular injection of Abobotulinum toxin A/Dysport in CCP. Twenty-five CCP with at least moderate pain (r-FLACC ≥ 4) during passive range of motion were included. Localized pain and pain in everyday living were measured by r-FLACC and the Paediatric Pain Profile (PPP), respectively. Functional improvements were evaluated by the goal attainment scale (SMART GAS). Quality of life was evaluated by either the CPCHILD or the CP-QOL. The subjects were evaluated at baseline before injection, then after 4, 12, and 28 weeks. Twenty-two subjects had a significant mean and maximum localized pain reduction (p < 0.001) at four weeks post-treatment in 96% (21/22). The reduction was maintained at 12 (19/19) and 28 weeks (12/15). Daily pain evaluated by the PPP was significantly reduced and functional SMART GAS goals were significantly achieved from 4 to 28 weeks. Quality of life improved significantly at four weeks (CPCHILD). Significant functional gains and localized and daily pain reduction were seen from 4 to 28 weeks.