Evaluating the feasibility of delivering a pain management programme for adults living with sickle cell disease.

Background: Pain is the prominent feature of sickle cell disease (SCD) and negatively affects quality of life. Delivery of pain management programmes (PMPs) has been suggested in clinical guidelines for pain management in SCD; however, further evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of PMPs in this population is needed. This study explored the feasibility of delivering a sickle cell pain management programme (SCPMP) for adults within a haemoglobinopathies service. Methods: A single arm, repeated-measures observational design was used to determine feasibility of delivering the SCPMP at one study site. Primary feasibility outcomes were recruitment, completion of treatment and outcome measures, satisfaction, credibility and acceptability to participants. Secondary feasibility outcomes were treatment outcomes and processes, frequency of vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) and healthcare utilisation. Results: Four of five feasibility criteria were met. Annual recruitment of eight participants to a SCPMP was not achieved. Twenty-nine people began a SCPMP during the study period. Twenty-five (86.2%) participants attended ≥5/8 sessions and 21(84%) programme completers provided all end of programme questionnaires. Mean scores of >7 on ten-point scales were seen across satisfaction and credibility questions. At least moderate (Hedges g >0.5) effect sizes were seen in pre-post SCPMP measures of pain interference, anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, pain-related worry and acceptance. A small (Hedges g 0.4) effect size was seen in HRQoL. Following SCPMP attendance, mean frequency of self-reported VOC and hospital admissions reduced. Conclusions: This study suggests that, given an adequate source of referrals, a SCPMP is feasible to deliver and appears acceptable and credible to participants. Exploration of influences on recruitment, such as barriers to group interventions, would be illuminating, prior to investigating feasibility of an adequately powered randomised-controlled trial.

Temporomandibular Disorders and Fibromyalgia Prevalence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of chronic widespread pain (CWP) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) in TMD patients and the prevalence of TMDs in patients with FMS. METHOD: A systematic search was performed in electronic databases. Studies published in English examining the prevalence of comorbid TMDs and CWP/FMS were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality, and meta-analyses using defined diagnostic criteria were conducted to generate pooled prevalence estimates. RESULTS: Nineteen studies of moderate to high quality met the selection criteria. Meta-analyses yielded a pooled prevalence rate (95% CI) for TMDs in FMS patients of 76.8% (69.5% to 83.3%). Myogenous TMDs were more prevalent in FMS patients (63.1%, 47.7% to 77.3%) than disc displacement disorders (24.2%, 19.4% to 39.5%), while a little over 40% of FMS patients had comorbid inflammatory degenerative TMDs (41.8%, 21.9% to 63.2%). Almost a third of individuals (32.7%, 4.5% to 71.0%) with TMDs had comorbid FMS, while estimates of comorbid CWP across studies ranged from 30% to 76%. CONCLUSIONS: Despite variable prevalence rates among the included studies, the present review suggests that TMDs and CWP/FMS frequently coexist, especially for individuals with painful myogenous TMDs. The clinical, pathophysiologic, and therapeutic aspects of this association are important for tailoring appropriate treatment strategies.

MODIFI: protocol for randomised feasibility study of eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) for functional neurological disorder (FND).

INTRODUCTION: Functional neurological disorder (FND) refers to an involuntary loss of control over and/or aberrant perception of the body. Common presenting symptoms are functional (non-epileptic) seizures, and functional motor disorder, for example, walking difficulties, weakness or tremor. Greater access to effective treatments would lead to reduced distress and disability; and reduce unnecessary healthcare costs.This study will examine eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) as a treatment for FND. EMDR is an evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but its use for other conditions is growing. An FND-specific EMDR protocol will be tested, and if the intervention proves feasible with promising clinical outcomes, progression to a substantive study could take place. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Fifty adult patients diagnosed with FND will be recruited. It will be a single-blind randomised controlled trial with two arms: EMDR (plus standard neuropsychiatric care; NPC) and standard NPC. The two groups will be compared at baseline (T0), 3 months (T1), 6 months (T2) and 9 months (T3). Measures of feasibility include safety, recruitment, retention, treatment adherence and acceptability. Clinical outcome measures will assess health-related functioning/quality of life, ratings of FND symptoms and severity, depression, anxiety, PTSD, dissociation, service utilisation and other costs. Improvement and satisfaction ratings will also be assessed. Feasibility outcomes will be summarised using descriptive statistics. Exploratory analyses using (linear/logistic) mixed-effect models will examine the rate of change in the groups' clinical outcome measures across the four time-points.After the intervention period, a sample of participants, and clinicians, will be invited to attend semistructured interviews. The interviews will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the NHS West Midlands-Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee. Study findings will be published in open access peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences, and communicated to participants and other relevant stakeholders. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05455450 (www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov).

Sleep disturbances are associated with pain intensity and pain-related functional interference in patients experiencing orofacial pain.

BACKGROUND: Sleep and pain have a reciprocal relationship, interacting with psychosocial aspects including depression, anxiety, somatization and significant stressful events. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess patients with oro-facial pain (OFP) and related sleep disturbances and determine the strongest psychosocial correlates. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of anonymized data of consecutive patients with OFP {January 2019 and February 2020} were analysed. Diagnostic and Axis-II data were integrated to assess the relationship between sleep disturbances, measured using Chronic Pain Sleep Inventory, and demographic factors, clinical comorbidities, recent stressful events, pain severity and pain- and psychological-related function. RESULTS: Five out of six patients with OFP were presented with pain-related sleep disturbances. Sleep problems were enhanced in patients with primary oro-facial headache compared with other OFP conditions. However, once the level of pain intensity and interference was accounted for, primary headache, was not a significant correlate of pain-related sleep disturbances. Multivariate analysis revealed (average) pain severity and pain interference were both significantly associated with sleep problems. There were also significant independent associations of sleep problems with somatization levels and reported experience of recent stressful events. CONCLUSION: Identifying sleep problems as a part of OFP management may be beneficial and could result in better management outcomes.

Service use preceding and following first referral for psychiatric emergency care at a short-stay crisis unit: A cohort study across three cities and one rural area in England.

BACKGROUND: Internationally, hospital-based short-stay crisis units have been introduced to provide a safe space for stabilisation and further assessment for those in psychiatric crisis. The units typically aim to reduce inpatient admissions and psychiatric presentations to emergency departments. AIMS: To assess changes to service use following a service user's first visit to a unit, characterise the population accessing these units and examine equality of access to the units. METHODS: A prospective cohort study design (ISCTRN registered; 53431343) compared service use for the 9 months preceding and following a first visit to a short-stay crisis unit at three cities and one rural area in England. Included individuals first visited a unit in the 6 months between 01/September/2020 and 28/February/2021. RESULTS: The prospective cohort included 1189 individuals aged 36 years on average, significantly younger (by 5-13 years) than the population of local service users (<.001). Seventy percent were White British and most were without a psychiatric diagnosis (55%-82% across sites). The emergency department provided the largest single source of referrals to the unit (42%), followed by the Crisis and Home Treatment Team (20%). The use of most mental health services, including all types of admission and community mental health services was increased post discharge. Social-distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic were in place for slightly over 50% of the follow-up period. Comparison to a pre-COVID cohort of 934 individuals suggested that the pandemic had no effect on the majority of service use variables. CONCLUSIONS: Short-stay crisis units are typically accessed by a young population, including those who previously were unknown to mental health services, who proceed to access a broader range of mental health services following discharge.

Psychologic Impact of Chronic Orofacial Pain: A Critical Review.

AIMS: To explore the prevalence of clinically significant anxiety and depression in adult patients with chronic orofacial pain (COFP) conditions. METHODS: A systematic online search of the Medline (PubMed) and Ovid databases was performed for articles published from 2006 to 2019. Observational studies- including cross-sectional, case-control, and case series-and longitudinal prospective studies were included. A total of 118 articles were selected for inclusion, and the prevalence rates of clinically significant anxiety and depression were summarized. RESULTS: Most studies focused on temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain and less often on neuropathic COFP conditions. Prevalence rates varied widely across studies according to OFP condition and assessment measure; most questionnaire-based assessments yielded rates of clinically significant depression and anxiety in, respectively, 40% to 60% and 40% to 65% of individuals with TMD and in 20% to 50% and 25% to 55% of patients with neuropathic, mixed, or idiopathic/atypical COFP conditions. Rates of anxiety and depression were lower in studies using diagnostic instruments and in TMD studies with nonpatient samples. Most controlled studies showed a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression in individuals with COFP than in those without. Higher COFP pain levels and the presence of comorbid conditions such as migraines or widespread pain increased the likelihood of anxiety and/or depressive symptoms in individuals. CONCLUSION: Clinically significant anxiety and depression were commonly observed in patients with COFP, were present at higher rates than in pain-free participants in controlled studies, and were closely linked to pain severity. More research is needed to evaluate the psychologic impact of multiple COFP conditions in an individual and the prevalence of precondition psychologic morbidity.

Exploration of adverse patterns of placement of young people in secure care: The unwanted child?

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that distant placements and multiple moves may be detrimental to young people in care settings. Less is known about the characteristics of young people in secure care most affected by these processes. AIMS: This study examined distance from home and number of previous placements in English young people detained in secure care and their relationships with organisational and individual characteristics. METHODS: Data were derived from the (2016) cross-sectional National Adolescent Study census of English young people in secure care, which included 1322 young people across secure mental health, welfare and Youth Justice establishments. Associations were described with odds ratios/95% confidence intervals (OR/CI). RESULTS: Overall, 285 young people (26.4%) were in secure placements over 100 miles from their family/local authority while 54 (5.6%) had 10 or more previous placements. These rates were higher in secure welfare than other settings (73.8%; OR (CI) = 9.62 (5.72, 16.18), 12.7%; OR (CI) = 2.76 (1.29, 5.91) respectively), and there was significant overlap between long-distance placement and multiple placements (n = 22; OR (CI) = 2.26 (1.27, 4.04)). Younger age and presence of neurodevelopmental disorder were also associated with long-distance placements while psychiatric diagnosis, previous secure placement, and previous service contact were linked to multiple placements. CONCLUSIONS: Distant and/or multiple placements in young people in secure care appear common, particularly for those who are placed in secure welfare and who are younger and/or present with a psychiatric disorder. Multi-agency evaluations that capture the longitudinal experience of these vulnerable young people are needed to understand how undesirable patterns of placement in secure care occur and prevent future instances.

At home or in hospital: Home treatment and mental health stigma.

BACKGROUND: Stigmatized attitudes towards people with mental illness may influence treatment choice for oneself and others. AIM: To gauge the attitudes of the UK general public towards treatment at home for mental illness and to assess the extent to which non-acceptability was related to stigmatized attitudes. METHODS: Two hundred and two (101 female) people living in the UK completed an online (vignette) questionnaire in which we asked demographic details and personal experience of mental illness. To measure stigma, we used an adapted version of the Attitudes to Mental Illness Questionnaire (AMIQ) with vignettes asking about treatment at home and using scales for social distance and poor expectations; participants also filled in the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS). RESULTS: Participants did not evidence overall agreement with treatment at home for mental illness (i.e. >0; range = -16-to-+16, Mean (M) = 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.08, 1.80, p = .073), although they showed significant agreement with treatment at home should they experience mental illness themselves (range = -8-to-+8, M = 1.36, CI = 0.82, 1.89, p < .001). Acceptability for treatment at home differed according to specific mental illness considered (range = -4-to-+4); depression (M = 0.47, CI = 0.13, 0.81, p = .006) and alcohol abuse (M = 1.46, CI = 1.14,1.77, p < .001) were considered suitable for being treated at home but schizophrenia was not (M = -0.78, CI = -1.13,-0.43, p < .001). Multivariate analyses revealed that older age and attitudes indicating comfort with less social distance from people with mental illness were independently associated with treatment at home agreeability. CONCLUSIONS: Public acceptability of home treatment for mental illness remains ambivalent in the UK, most obviously when considering treatment approaches for individuals other than themselves and for people with schizophrenia. Disagreement with home treatment is particularly evident in younger people and those who prefer less social contact with people with mental illness.

A systematic review of treatment for patients with burning mouth syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Burning mouth syndrome is a chronic idiopathic intractable intraoral dysaesthesia that remains a challenge to clinicians due to its poorly understood pathogenesis and inconsistent response to various treatments. AIM: This review aimed to study the short- (≤3 months) and long-term (>3 months) effectiveness and sustainable benefit of different burning mouth syndrome treatment strategies and the associated side effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomised controlled trials of burning mouth syndrome treatment compared with placebo or other interventions with a minimum follow up of 2 months were searched from the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane database (published to July 2020). RESULTS: Twenty-two studies were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and analysed. Nine categories of burning mouth syndrome treatment were identified: Anticonvulsant and antidepressant agents, phytomedicine and alpha lipoic acid supplements, low-level laser therapy, saliva substitute, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and cognitive behaviour therapy. Cognitive behaviour therapy, topical capsaicin and clonazepam, and laser therapy demonstrated favourable outcome in both short- and long-term assessment. Phytomedicines reported a short-term benefit in pain score reduction. The pooled effect of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) pain score improvement was low, but its positive effects increased in long term assessment. CONCLUSION: A more significant volume in terms of sample size, multi-centres, and multi-arm comparison of therapeutic agents with placebo and longitudinal follow-up studies is recommended to establish a standardised burning mouth syndrome treatment protocol. Further studies are required to assess the analgesic benefits of topical clonazepam and capsaicin, alternative medicines with neurodegenerative prevention capability and psychology support in treating burning mouth syndrome and reducing systemic adverse drug reactions.Registration International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO):Protocol ID - CRD42020160892.

Young men and young women in secure care: gender differences in the placement of those with mental health needs.

BACKGROUND: The system of secure care for young people in England and Wales comprises youth justice, welfare and mental health facilities. Empirical studies have failed to investigate the system as a whole. The National Adolescent Study in 2016 was the first to provide comprehensive system wide information. This paper, derived from that data set, addresses equity of service provision for young men and women in secure care who have mental health problems. METHODS: The detained census population of English young people in 2016 was 1322 and detailed data were available on 93% of this population, including 983 young men and 290 young women. The descriptive census data were interrogated to identify associations between gender, other sociodemographic and clinical variables, using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Numerically more young men in secure care than young women in secure care warrant a psychiatric diagnosis but young women had a 9 fold increase in the odds of having a diagnosis compared with the young men. The pattern of mental health diagnoses differed significantly by gender as did the legislative framework under which females and males were placed. This different pattern of secure care placement continued to differ by gender when the nature of the mental health diagnosis was taken into account. CONCLUSIONS: No definitive explanation is evident for the significantly different placement patterns of young men and young women with the same mental health diagnoses, but the anticipated consequences for some, young men and some young women are important. Proper explanation demands an examination of process variables outwith the remit of this study. The lack of routine scrutiny and transparent processes across secure settings could be responsible for the development of these differential placement practices; these practices seem at odds with the duty placed on public services by the Equality Act.

Catastrophising, pain self-efficacy and acceptance in patients with Burning Mouth Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about pain catastrophising, pain self-efficacy and chronic pain acceptance in burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and their effect on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders. OBJECTIVES: To describe pain catastrophising, pain self-efficacy and pain acceptance in BMS patients and explore associations with affective function and HRQoL. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 36 BMS patients (31 female) referred to an Orofacial Pain Clinic completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire-8 in addition to standardised self-reported questionnaires measuring mood and oral and generic HRQoL. RESULTS: Pain catastrophising levels were markedly higher than (non-clinical) population norms, with 32.0% of patients reporting clinically relevant levels. Pain self-efficacy and chronic pain acceptance varied widely; 24.0% evidenced low confidence to cope with pain, and 53.8% reported low activity engagement and/or low pain willingness. Catastrophising showed moderate-to-strong associations with measures of anxiety (r = 0.63), depression (r = 0.80), and oral (r = 0.61) and generic HRQoL (rho=-0.84). Self-efficacy and acceptance were also closely related to levels of depression (r/rho=-0.83 to -0.73) and generic HRQoL (r/rho = 0.74 to 0.75). These associations were stronger than those between pain severity and affective function/HRQoL and persisted after controlling for pain severity. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of BMS patients evidence maladaptive beliefs about personal effectiveness in managing pain, which is closely related to affective disorders and impaired HRQoL. As such, treatment approaches targeting catastrophising, pain self-efficacy and acceptance may prove beneficial in improving mood and quality of life in BMS patients.

The positive and the negative impacts of spasticity in patients with long-term neurological conditions: an observational study.

PURPOSE: To describe the positive and negative impacts of spasticity across different neurological disorders using the Patient Reported Impact of Spasticity Measure (PRISM), deduce any associations between severity of spasticity and its impact, and assess for differences across diagnostic subgroups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PRISM, a spasticity-specific quality of life questionnaire validated in patients with spinal cord injuries, was given to 97 follow-up patients attending a spasticity clinic prior to symptom assessment using the REsistance to PAssive movement Scale (REPAS). RESULTS: Patients described a minor level of positive impact and a marked negative impact in the domains of "Psychological Agitation," "Daily Activities," "Need for Assistance/Positioning" and "Social Avoidance/Anxiety." Spasticity severity was, in general, a poor predictor of perceived impact, although severity and localisation of spasticity was modestly correlated with "Need for Assistance/Positioning" and "Social Embarrassment" levels. Despite comparable levels of spasticity severity, people with MS expressed a more substantial impact across some PRISM domains than did patients in other groups. CONCLUSION: PRISM can be useful to assess the impact of spasticity in various neurological conditions although further validation studies are needed.Implications for RehabilitationThe localisation of spasticity in both legs or the right arm can produce a significant impact on 'Need for Assistance/Positioning' and 'Social Embarrassment'.People with MS may experience a greater impact of spasticity than those with other neurological conditions, particularly in the domains of Social Avoidance/Anxiety and Psychological Agitation.Coexisting factors such as anxiety, depression, fatigue and pain should be investigated together with spasticity.PRISM can assist in goal setting and treatment of people with spasticity secondary to different neurological conditions.

The differential impact of neuropathic, musculoskeletal and neurovascular orofacial pain on psychosocial function.

BACKGROUND: While the psychosocial morbidity of orofacial pain (OFP) is widely recognized, the differential impact of musculoskeletal, neuropathic and neurovascular symptoms on pain and psychosocial function in individuals with and without coexisting OFP conditions is unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a comparative cross-sectional study of 350 consecutive patients attending an OFP clinic; 244 completed standardized self-report measures of pain experience, mood, and generic and oral health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The impact of musculoskeletal, neuropathic and neurovascular symptoms on measures was assessed using linear and logistic generalized linear models. RESULTS: Two hundred patients were diagnosed with a neuropathic condition: 125 with musculoskeletal pain and 101 with (neurovascular) headache disorders. 23% of patients presented with multiple OFP conditions; this was more common in patients with neurovascular (62%) than neuropathic (21%) and/or musculoskeletal orofacial symptoms (28%). Patients with neurovascular symptoms experienced significantly higher levels of pain, evidenced less pain self-efficacy and had poorer overall health. Neuropathic OFP was significantly associated with greater psychological and social oral health disability. Multiple OFP symptoms were not linked to pain severity or psychosocial function, although health scores were worse for patients with neurovascular pain and neuropathic/musculoskeletal symptoms compared with patients with only neurovascular symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The profile and degree of psychosocial morbidity in patients with OFP is significantly related to the types of presenting orofacial symptoms. Patients with neurovascular pain present with higher pain levels and have poorer health while those with neuropathic pain have higher oral functional morbidity; both may require more complex multidisciplinary management.

Biographical films as a person-centered approach to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia in residential care: A feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: Neuropsychiatric symptoms are a major component of dementia irrespective of severity or subtype. We aimed to determine the feasibility of biographical films to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with moderate to severe dementia over a 32-week period. METHOD: A total of 11 people with dementia situated in a residential care home took part in this mixed-method feasibility study. Carers reported neuropsychiatric symptoms of residents at three time-points, and their experience of the study was obtained at a feedback session. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in neuropsychiatric symptoms in residents with neuropsychiatric impairment from baseline to the end of study (p = .042; d = .98). Thematic analysis identified three major themes: Triggered memories, knowledge gained to support care, and perceived changes in the resident. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that it is feasible to use biographical films long-term to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, alongside routine care.

Therapy competence in delivering a brief cognitive behavioural therapy intervention to reduce maternal anxiety associated with child food allergy.

Child food allergy is increasingly prevalent, and caring for such children is associated with elevated parental anxiety. We previously carried out a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) of brief cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for parental anxiety associated with child food allergy which found that treatment to be effective. This study describes the manualized brief CBT intervention and assesses the acquisition of competence in delivering this therapy. Three healthcare professionals were trained and supervised in the delivery of brief CBT to 98 mothers of food-allergic children. Competency was assessed using the Revised Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS-R), with 'competency' defined as a CTS-R score ≥3. All therapists' CTS-R scores increased over time. In the first four months, the mean (SD) CTS-R score was 2.31 (0.56), increasing to 3.14 (0.41) in the second four months (p < .001). Overall, 13/19 (68%) of CBT sessions were rated with a CTS-R score ≥3 in the second four months. After eight months, all therapists were performing CBT at a competent level (17 of the 18 sessions or 94%). The therapists participated in a RCT that reduced maternal anxiety (reported elsewhere). We have shown that therapists not previously trained in CBT can be trained in specific interventions and reach competent levels quickly.

Pilot randomised controlled trial of a brief mindfulness-based intervention for those with persistent pain.

A pilot-randomised controlled trial (RCT) examined the effects of a brief mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on persistent pain patients and assessed the feasibility of conducting a definitive RCT. A brief (15 min) mindfulness body-scan audio was compared with an active control administered in a clinic and then used independently over 1 month. Immediate effects of the intervention were assessed with brief measures of pain severity, distraction and distress. Assessments at baseline, 1 week and 1 month included pain severity and interference, mood, pain-catastrophizing, mindfulness, self-efficacy, quality of life and intervention acceptability. Of 220 referred patients, 147 were randomised and 71 completed all assessments. There were no significant immediate intervention effects. There were significant positive effects for ratings of intervention 'usefulness' at 1 week (p = 0.044), and pain self-efficacy at 1 month (p = 0.039) for the MBI group compared with control. Evidently, it is feasible to recruit persistent pain patients to a brief MBI study. Strategies are needed to maximise retention of participants.Trial registration Current controlled trials ISRCTN61538090. Registered 20 April 2015.

Personal Problems Questionnaire (PPQ): Normative Data and Utility in Assessing Acquired Neurological Impairment.

OBJECTIVE: The Personal Problems Questionnaire (PPQ) is a measure designed to assess acquired cognitive, emotional, and physical complaints. The present study sought to develop a normative database to allow clinicians and researchers to assess self-reported complaints among people with disabilities, and evaluate the response consistency and validity of their self-report. METHOD: 404 community-dwelling participants (n 200 males, 204 females) completed the PPQ, as well as an acquired brain injury (ABI) group (n 59), mainly following stroke and traumatic brain injuries, and seen for clinical (i.e., non-forensic) evaluations. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to derive norms from the healthy community sample taking into account age, gender, and educational level. RESULTS: Normative T scores and cut-off points for the Clinical and Validity scales were derived, respectively, and used to assess the responses of the ABI group. The results indicated that the ABI group showed good response consistency and elevated scores on the Clinical scales, indicating that the PPQ is likely to be useful in detecting acquired disabilities. On the other hand, scores on the Validity scales were not elevated, indicating that the measures were unaffected by the ABI participants' cognitive difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: The PPQ provides a comprehensive assessment of complaints and response validity and the present study provides further data to assist with its use and interpretation.

Comparison of the Neuropathic Pain Symptoms and Psychosocial Impacts of Trigeminal Neuralgia and Painful Posttraumatic Trigeminal Neuropathy.

AIMS: To compare the impacts of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and painful posttraumatic trigeminal neuropathy (PPTTN) on psychologic function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using a comprehensive quantitative assessment. METHODS: This was a comparative cross-sectional study. A total of 97 patients diagnosed with PPTTN and 40 patients diagnosed with TN who sought treatment at an orofacial pain clinic completed standardized self-report measures of pain intensity, neuropathic symptoms, pain self-efficacy, mood, and indicators of general and oral HRQoL. Differences between the PPTTN and TN groups were tested, and associations of each condition with pain severity, psychologic function, and HRQoL were examined. RESULTS: The majority of PPTTN (66%) and TN patients (80%) were affected by orofacial pain. Pain attacks were more frequent in TN (71%) than PPTTN (28%) patients, while numbness was more common in PPTTN (51%) than TN (12%) patients. Pain intensity was higher in TN for intermittent and affective pain dimensions. Both PPTTN and TN had a significant, but comparable, impact on patients' oral HRQoL. The burden of condition on overall health was significantly more pronounced in patients with TN than PPTTN, with evident differences in the mobility and self-care domains. There was a trend showing that more TN (54%) than PPTTN (36%) patients reported signs of depression, but clinically significant anxiety was comparably high in both groups (34% to 39%). Anxiety and pain self-efficacy were closely related to oral and general health statuses in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both TN and PPTTN are associated with significant psychosocial burden and reduced HRQoL, indicating a need to develop effective treatments for neuropathic orofacial pain that target functional restoration.