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The Mediating Role of Pain Cognitions and Pain Sensitivity in the Treatment Effect of Perioperative Pain Neuroscience Education in People Undergoing Surgery for Lumbar Radiculopathy.

Eva Huysmans, Koen Putman, Ronald Buyl, Lara Stas, Iris Coppieters, Kelly Ickmans, Maarten Moens, Jo Nijs, Wouter Van Bogaert, Lisa Goudman

Journal: The journal of pain 2024;25(8):104521

PMID: 38575104

Free Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Though perioperative pain neuroscience education (PPNE) positively influences patients' surgical outcomes, little is known about the mechanisms behind this treatment's success. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the potential mediating role of pain cognitions and pain sensitivity in the treatment effect of PPNE on postoperative quality of life in people undergoing surgery for lumbar radiculopathy. This secondary analysis uses data from 120 participants of a randomized controlled trial who were randomized to receive either PPNE or perioperative biomedical education before undergoing surgery for lumbar radiculopathy. Quality of life was assessed 1-year postsurgery using the short form 36-item health survey (SF36) physical and mental component scores. Potential mediators included pain cognitions (ie, kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, and hypervigilance) and pain sensitivity (ie, endogenous nociceptive modulation), assessed 6 weeks postsurgery. Mediation models were constructed using structural equation modeling, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using 10,000 bootstrap samples. Analyses show a significant total effect for PPNE (estimate = .464, 95% CI [.105, .825]) and a significant indirect effect via pain catastrophizing on the SF36 physical component (estimate = .124, 95% CI [.001, .293]). No mediating effect was found through the remaining pain cognitions or pain sensitivity measures. Also, no potential mediators were identified for the treatment effect of PPNE on the SF36 mental component. Our findings suggest that pain catastrophizing mediates the treatment effect of PPNE on physical health-related quality of life in people undergoing surgery for lumbar radiculopathy. PERSPECTIVE: This secondary analysis identified pain catastrophizing as a mediator for PPNE in people undergoing surgery for lumbar radiculopathy. More so, its findings indicate that this educational intervention can enhance the postoperative physical health-related quality of life of these patients by addressing their catastrophizing thoughts. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02630732).

Copyright © 2024 United States Association for the Study of Pain, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Address: Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Public Health (GEWE), Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium; Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.; Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium; Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: [email protected].; Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium; Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium; The Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies (LaBGAS), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.; Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium; Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centered Care (GPCC), Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.; Department of Public Health (GEWE), Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.; Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium; Movement & Nutrition for Health & Performance Research Group (MOVE), Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.; Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Neurosurgery, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; STIMULUS Research Group (reSearch and TeachIng neuroModULation Uz bruSsel/VUB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Center for Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Radiology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.; Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium; Department of Neurosurgery, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; STIMULUS Research Group (reSearch and TeachIng neuroModULation Uz bruSsel/VUB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Center for Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.; Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Core Facility - Support for Quantitative and Qualitative Research (SQUARE), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.; Department of Public Health (GEWE), Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2024.03.017

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MeSH Terms: Humans, Male, Female, Radiculopathy, Middle Aged, Adult, Quality of Life, Catastrophization, Patient Education as Topic, Pain, Postoperative, Pain Threshold, Neurosciences, Lumbar Vertebrae, Pain Management
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