Age-Related Changes of Pain Experience in Cerebral Palsy and Healthy Individuals
- 1 April 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Pain Medicine
- Vol. 12 (4), 535-545
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4637.2011.01094.x
Abstract
Objective. Pain is a serious problem for many individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). Pain and injury in early life may cause long-term changes in somatosensory and pain processing. Nevertheless, no information exists regarding the influence of age on pain reports and touch sensitivity among persons with CP or the influence of age on the quality of life in individuals with CP. Design. The present cross-sectional study investigated pain characteristics, touch sensitivity, and quality of life in 86 individuals with CP and 115 healthy volunteers. Participants were grouped by age in children (6-10 years), adolescents (11-17 years), and young adults (18-30 years). Touch sensitivity at different body locations were tested by using von Frey monofilaments. Data about pain and quality of life were obtained from a semi-structured interview and questionnaires. Results. Participants with CP reported more pain as well as more reduced touch sensitivity and quality of life than healthy controls. Neither pain reports nor touch sensitivity or quality of life were influenced by age in CP, whereas significant age-related changes were observed in healthy participants. Multiple regression analyses also showed that age was the best predictor of current pain intensity in healthy controls but not in individuals with CP. Conclusion. These findings emphasize the importance of considering the presence of pain at very early ages in CP. Furthermore, these results provide clinicians and researchers with a new age-related psychosocial and psychophysiological perspective to investigate the mechanisms that could be involved in the presence and maintenance of pain in this population.Keywords
This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit:
- Developmental changes in somatosensory processing in cerebral palsy and healthy individualsClinical Neurophysiology, 2010
- Joint-Position Sense and Kinesthesia in Cerebral PalsyArchives Of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2009
- Self-Reported Health Status and Quality of Life in Youth With Cerebral Palsy and Typically Developing YouthArchives Of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2008
- The Severity of Chronic Pediatric Pain: An Epidemiological StudyThe Journal of Pain, 2007
- Abnormalities of Tactile Sensory Function in Children With Dystonic and Diplegic Cerebral PalsyJournal of Child Neurology, 2007
- Cerebral Palsy and Chronic PainPhysical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics, 2006
- Age effects on pain thresholds, temporal summation and spatial summation of heat and pressure painPain, 2005
- Bodily pain and health-related quality of life in children with cerebral palsyDevelopmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 2004
- A survey of children's acute, recurrent, and chronic pain: validation of the Pain Experience InterviewPain, 2000
- Occupational Therapists' Experiences and Knowledge of Pain in ChildrenPhysical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics, 1994