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Musicians commonly speak of mental practice and score analysis in referring to strategies widely used by performers. However, these terms may not be universally understood in the same way. To address this, 89 experienced musicians were surveyed as to their views and experiences concerning mental practice and score analysis, using a mixture of closed/rating scale and open-ended questions. They were asked what they understood by these terms and what information these strategies enabled them to obtain from the score. Results suggest that mental practice and score analysis are both considered useful, though mental practice more so. Content analysis identified the main characteristics of mental practice as--occurring away from the instrument; involving several types of imagery, often in real time; and focusing on performance preparation, particularly aspects of execution and realization. During mental practice, the score tended to function more as a memory aid, an orientation guide, and as a point of reference for interpretation. Score analysis was considered more theoretical, though still relevant for performance preparation at a range of levels from exploratory to detailed. During score analysis, information primarily increased musical understanding of the piece, and related to both structural (e.g., form, harmony) and aesthetic (e.g., tempo, phrasing) aspects. The findings are discussed in terms of the current understanding of mental practice and score analysis in the literature, and the relationship between them. Mental practice and score analysis do have similarities, such as their benefit to performance preparation, and distinctions, for instance, concerning their specific aims. However, they may be best considered as lying on a continuum of strategies for performance practice and enhancement, rather than as two distinct behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary aerosols comprise a major fraction of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in all parts of the country, during all seasons, and times of day. The most abundant secondary species include sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs). The relative abundance of each species varies in space and time as a function of meteorology, source emissions strength and type, thermodynamics, and atmospheric processing. Transport of secondary aerosols from upwind locations can contribute significantly at downwind receptor sites, especially regionally in the eastern United States, and across a given urbanized area, such as in Los Angeles. Processes governing the formation of the inorganic secondary species (sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium) are fairly well understood, although the occurrence of nucleation bursts initiated with the formation of ultrafine sulfuric acid particles observed regionally on clean days in the eastern United States was unexpected. Because of the complex nature of organic material in air, much is still to be learned about the sources, formation, and even spatial and temporal distributions of SOAs. For example, a considerable fraction of ambient organic PM is oxidized organic species, many of which still need to be identified, quantified, and their sources and formation mechanisms determined. Furthermore, significant uncertainty (approaching 50% or more) is associated with estimating the SOA fraction of organic material in air with current methods. This review summarizes the findings of the Supersites Program and related studies addressing secondary particulate matter (PM), including spatial and temporal variations of secondary PM and its precursor species, data and methods for determining the primary and secondary fractions of PM mass, and findings on the anthropogenic and natural fractions of secondary PM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present the physical and chemical characterization of particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions from simulated agricultural fires (AFs) of surface residuals of two major grain crops, rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The O2 levels and CO/CO2 ratios of the open burn simulations are typical of the field fires of agricultural residues. In the AF plumes, we observe predominantly accumulation mode (100–1000nm) aerosols. The mean PM2.5 mass emission factors from replicate burns of the wheat and rice residuals are 4.7±0.04 and 13.0±0.3gkg−1 of dry biomass, respectively. The combustion-derived PM emissions from wheat are enriched in K (31% weight/weight, w/w) and Cl (36% w/w), whereas the PM emissions from rice are largely carbonaceous (84% w/w). Molecular level gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of PM2.5 solvent extracts identifies organic matter that accounts for as much as 18% of the PM mass emissions. A scarcity of detailed PM-phase chemical emissions data from AFs required that comparisons among other biomass combustion groups (wildfire, woodstove, and fireplace) be made. Statistical tests for equal variance among these groups indicate that the degree to which molecular emissions vary is compound dependent. Analysis of variance testing shows significant differences in the mean values of certain n-alkane, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), oxy-PAH, and sugar marker compounds common to the biomass combustion types. Individual pairwise comparisons of means at the combustion group level confirm this result but suggest that apportioning airborne PM to these sources may require a more comprehensive use of the chemical emissions fingerprints. Hierarchical clustering of source test observations using molecular markers indicates agricultural fuels as distinct from other types of biomass combustion or biomass species. Rough approximations of the total potential PM2.5 emissions outputs from the combustion of the wheat and rice surface residues are given. This agricultural activity could significantly contribute to emissions inventories at regional, national, and global geographic levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study provides an intercomparison of the performance of a newly developed water-based condensation particle counter (WCPC) and a more widely used butanol-based CPC (TSI 3022A). Four test aerosols (ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, adipic acid, and glutaric acid) were generated and tested in the laboratory before the instruments were deployed at four field locations (USC/downtown LA, I-710 Freeway, Pacific coast, and Los Angeles International Airport). Both instruments sampled the same incoming aerosol. Selected experiments utilized a differential mobility analyzer to select a particle size upstream of the CPCs. Evaluation of performance was based on the response of the instruments to varying particle composition, concentrations, and size. The results indicated good correlation between the two CPCs, with R2 values ranging from 0.74-0.99. Good agreement was found between the two instruments for particle concentrations between 0 and 40,000 particles/cm3, with W-CPC/TSI 3022A ratios between 0.8 and 1.2. Due to differences in the photometric mode calibration of these instruments, the ratio drops to 0.6-0.8 between 40,000-100,000 particles/cm3. However, the ratio rises again for lab aerosols above 100,000 particles/cm3 to 1.0-1.1. Results of this evaluation show that the W-CPC is a reliable particle-counting technology for particle concentrations encountered downstream of a DMA as well as in some ambient environments (<40,000 particles/cm3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient ultrafine particles have gained attention with recent evidence showing them to be more toxic than larger ambient particles. Few studies have investigated the distribution of chemical constituents within the ultrafine range. The current study explores the size-fractionated ultratine (10-180 nm) chemical composition at urban source sites (USC and Long Beach) and inland receptor sites (Riverside and Upland) in the Los Angeles basin over three different seasons. Size-fractionated ultrafine particles were collected by a NanoMOUDI over a period of 2 weeks at each site. Measurements of ultrafine mass concentrations varied from 0.86 to 3.5 μ/m³ with the highest concentrations observed in the fall. The chemical composition of ultrafine particles ranged from 32 to 69% for organic carbon (OC), 1-34% for elemental carbon (EC), 0-24% for sulfate, and 0-4% for nitrate. A distinct DC mode was observed between 18 and 56 nm in the summer, possibly indicating photochemical secondary organic aerosol formation. The EC levels are higher in winter at the source sites due to lower inversion heights and are higher in summer at the receptor sites due to increased long-range transport from upwind source areas. Nitrate and sulfate were measurable only in the larger particle size ranges of ultrafine PM. Collocated continuous measurements of particle size distributions and gaseous pollutants helped to differentiate ultrafine particle sources at each site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential wood combustion is an important contributor to ambient fine particle levels in the United States. About one-half to two-thirds of the residential wood combustion in the United States occurs in wood stoves as opposed to fireplaces. Thus, any differences between these two sources must be accounted for in chemical mass balance receptor models which attempt to determine the contribution of wood smoke sources to ambient fine particle samples. To fully characterize the fine particle emissions from wood stoves and compare the emissions profiles to those determined from previous fireplace experiments, a series of source tests were conducted on the burning of the most prevalent U.S. tree species in wood stoves. The catalyst-equipped wood stove chosen for these tests was operated under both noncatalytic and catalytic conditions to assess the effects of the catalyst on fine particle emissions. Analysis of the wood smoke includes fine particle mass emission factors, organic and elemental carbon content, ionic and elemental composition, and detailed organic speciation by GC/MS. Between 60 and 90% of the fine particle mass emissions were attributed to measured chemical species. The fine particle emissions from wood stoves show the same general patterns as those from the fireplace combustion of the same tree species; important differences between hardwood and softwood combustion are seen among the substituted phenols and diterpenoids, and levoglucosan is the most abundant individual organic compound emitted. However, fine particle mass emission factors from wood stoves are significantly lower than those from fireplaces. The elemental carbon content of the fine particle mass is generally higher in wood stove smoke than in fire- place smoke, and is even higher when the catalyst was employed. Furthermore, a greater fraction of the organic compounds is identifiable by GC/MS methods in the wood stove smoke vs. the fireplace smoke. These results suggest that differences in the source profiles between wood stove and fireplace combustion merit consideration in source apportionment calculations using organic compounds as tracers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report a comparison of the results from the differential tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) and a semi-continuous nitrate monitor in an attempt to obtain insights into the dynamics of volatilization from the heated TEOM filter. Measurements were conducted in Claremont, California, a city downwind of Los Angeles and a region of high nitrate concentrations. Field results are compared with that obtained in the laboratory for sampling of pure ammonium nitrate aerosol, and with the vaporization losses predicted by theory. The primary hypothesis that we are testing is that the nitric acid and ammonia gas volatilization from particle-bound ammonium nitrate loaded on the TEOM''s fiber filter occurs over time scales that are longer than the 5-min cycle time for the system. This is important to the use of the Differential TEOM, which utilizes the vaporization measured during alternate 5-min periods as a reference baseline value for its particle mass measurements.Our experiments showed that under ambient conditions, the mass lost from the Differential TEOM tracks well the ambient particulate nitrate concentration. The saturation ratio for nitrate vapor immediately downstream of the filter, calculated at the filter temperature assuming all volatilized mass is ammonium nitrate, ranged from 0.05 to 0.2. By comparison, for laboratory collection of ammonium nitrate aerosol the vaporization reached a maximum value corresponding to a saturation of nitrate vapor downstream of the heated filter. This difference is due to the relatively higher particle concentrations used for the laboratory experiments. For the ambient measurements, the particulate nitrate concentrations were consistently lower than the equilibrium vapor concentration at the TEOM filter temperature. In both cases, the nitrate vaporization is driven by the temperature of the TEOM filter and independent of the pressure drop across the filter. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A periodic review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will assess the standards with respect to levels, particle size,and averaging times. Some members of the scientific community in the United States and Europe have suggested the use of PM1 instead of PM2.5 as the fine particle measurement standard. This proposed standard is intended to reduce the influence of coarse particle sources on PM2.5, because some evidence suggests that PM1-2.5 is dominated by coarse particulate matter (PM) sources. In this study, coarse (PM2.5-10), intermodal (PM1-2.5), and fine (PM2.5) mass concentrations at four different sites are measured with continuous and time-integrated sampling devices. The main objective is to compare variations in these three size ranges while considering the effects of location, sources, weather, wind speed, and wind direction. Results show strong correlations between PM1 and intermodal PM in receptor sites. The contribution of PM1-2.5 to PM2.5 is highest in the summer months, most likely due to enhanced long-range transport. Coarse PM is poorly correlated with intermodal PM. Continuous data suggest that PM1 is growing into PM1-2.5 via complex processes involving stagnation of the aerosol during high relative humidity conditions, followed by advection during daytime hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty-one tonal and atonal classical melodies were evaluated by 29 students on 10 bipolar adjective scales that focused on emotional evaluation along four factors: valence, aesthetic judgment, activity, and potency. Significant predictors for each factor were obtained through ridge regression analyses. Predictors were quantified characteristics of each melody: the distribution of intervals according to interval size, the mode, and tonal strength (C. L. Krumhansl, 1990). Valence was best predicted by mode. Aesthetic judgment was predicted by the interval distribution and by tonal strength. Melodies judged pleasant contained more perfect fourths and minor sevenths and fewer augmented fourths; they were also high in tonal strength. Activity and potency were best predicted by the interval distribution. Activity, a sense of instability and motion, was conveyed by a greater occurrence of minor seconds, augmented fourths, and intervals larger than the octave. Potency, an expression of vigor and power, was marked by a greater occurrence of unisons and octaves. Thus the emotional expression of a melody appears to be related to the distributions of its interval categories, its mode, and its tonal strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous measurements of particle number (PN), particle mass (PM10), and gaseous pollutants [carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and ozone (O3)] were performed at five urban sites in the Los Angeles Basin to support the University of Southern California Children's Health Study in 2002. The degree of correlation between hourly PN and concentrations of CO, NO, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at each site over the entire year was generally low to moderate (r values in the range of 0.1-0.5), with a few notable exceptions. In general, associations between PN and O3 were either negative or insignificant. Similar analyses of seasonal data resulted in levels of correlation with large variation, ranging from 0.0 to 0.94 depending on site and season. Summertime data showed a generally higher correlation between the 24-hr average PN concentrations and CO, NO, and NO2 than corresponding hourly concentrations. Hourly correlations between PN and both CO and NO were strengthened during morning rush-hour periods, indicating a common vehicular source. Comparing hourly particle number concentrations between sites also showed low to moderate spatial correlations, with most correlation coefficients below 0.4. Given the low to moderate associations found in this study, gaseous co-pollutants should not be used as surrogates to assess human exposure to airborne particle number concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for continuous personal monitoring for exposure to particulate matter has been demonstrated by recent health studies showing effects of PM exposure on time scales of less than a few hours. Filter-based methods cannot measure this short-term variation of PM levels, which can be quite significant considering human activity patterns. The goal of this study was to evaluate the active-flow personal DataRAM for PM2.5 (MIE pDR-1200; Thermo Electron Corp., Franklin, MA) designed as a wearable monitor to continuously measure particle exposure. The instrument precision was found to be good (2.1%) and significantly higher than the passive pDR configuration tested previously. A comparison to other proven continuous monitors resulted in good agreement at low relative humidities. Results at higher humidity followed predictable trends and provided a correction scheme that improved the accuracy of pDR readings. The pDR response to particle size also corresponded to previously observed and theoretical errors. The active flow feature of the pDR allows collection of the sampled particles on a back-up filter. The 24-h mass measured on this filter was found to compare very well with a Federal Reference Method for PM2.5 mass. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Results are presented from a series of source tests on the fireplace combustion of 10 wood species found in the Midwestern and Western United States: white oak, sugar maple, black oak, American beech, black cherry, white spruce, quaking aspen, douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and pinyon pine. Fine particle emission factors for total mass, organic, and elemental carbon, ionic species, elemental species including potassium, and over 250 individual organic compounds were determined. The data are intended for use in apportionment studies that utilize particulate organic compounds as specific tracers to identify the sources of ambient fine particles. The cellulose pyrolysis products levoglucosan, mannosan, and galactosan were quantified in each of the wood smokes studied; they act as molecular tracers for cellulose from combustion of all wood types. Differences in the emission rates of syringol- and guaiacol-type phenolic compounds from lignin and of resin acids can be used to distinguish between hardwood and softwood smoke emissions. The triterpenoid, friedelin, known to be present in the bark of white oak, is emitted in significant quantities from white oak combustion, but was not found in the emissions from any other North American wood species. Friedelin can potentially be utilized to trace particulate emissions back to specific geographic regions where white oak is used for firewood. These results, along with previously published data from the other U.S. regions, provide a complete set of emission factors of the prevalent chemical species found in wood smoke throughout the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual organic compounds can be used as tracers for primary sources of ambient particulate matter (PM) in chemical mass balance receptor models. Previous work has examined PM2.5 only and usually over long sampling periods encompassing entire days or longer. In this study, a high-flow-rate, low-pressure-drop ultrafine particle separator was deployed to collect sufficient mass for organic speciation of ultrafine and accumulation mode aerosol on a diurnal basis. Particles between 0.18 and 2.5 4 μm in diameter were collected on a quartz-fiber impaction substrate, and ultrafine particles below 0.18 μm were collected downstream on a high-volume filter. Four daily time period samples (morning, midday, evening, and overnight) were sampled over five weekdays to form a weekly average composite for each diurnal period. Sampling was conducted at two sites over two seasons; summer (August) and winter (January) samples were collected at both an urban site near downtown Los Angeles (University of Southern California) and a downwind, inland site in Riverside, CA. Hopanes, used as organic markers for vehicular emissions, were found to exist primarily in the ultrafine mode. Levoglucosan, an indicator of wood combustion, was quantified in both size ranges, but more was present in the accumulation mode particles. An indicator of photochemical secondary organic aerosol formation, 1,2- benzenedicarboxylic acid, was found primarily in the accumulation mode and varied with site, season, and time of day as one would expect for a photochemical product The atmospheric variations of particulate cholesterol and other organic acids were also considered. By examining the diurnal variation, size-fractionation, and intercorrelations of individual organic compounds, the sources and atmospheric fate of these tracers can be better understood and their utility as molecular markers can be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies that have found increased health effects of atmospheric ultrafine particulate matter (PM) have refocused attention on particle number rather than particle mass concentrations as a relevant measurement of PM pollution. As part of the Southern California Supersite program, ambient particle characteristics were measured over 13 months at three different sites in the eastern portion of the Los Angeles Basin: Riverside, Rubidoux, and Claremont, CA. The sites represent receptor locations that are influenced by local particle sources as well as advection from the more intense particle sources upwind closer to Downtown Los Angeles. An SMPS/APS tandem system was employed to collect continuous particle size distributions, from which particle number and mass concentrations were calculated. An aethalometer provided continuous particulate elemental carbon (EC) concentrations. Results show no meaningful correlation between particle number and mass, indicating that fine particle standards may not be effective in controlling ultrafine concentrations. Diurnal patterns show a morning traffic peak indicated by increases in particle mass, number, and EC. Afternoon periods in the warmer months are characterized by high number counts while mass and EC remain low, suggesting the formation of new particles by photochemistry. Particle mode diameters range from 30 nm up to above 100 nm, a result not seen in most other studies of particle size distributions in other urban or rural areas where mode diameters are generally less than 50 nm. Evidence is presented that the observed ultrafine particle concentrations and size distributions are influenced by long-range advection and photochemical processes as well as vehicular emissions, which have been previously assumed to dominate day-to-day ultrafine particle levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the development and evaluation of a very compact facility for exposing humans to concentrated ambient ultrafine particles (da < 0.15 µm). The human ultrafine particle concentrator (UFPC) operates at an intake flow rate of 1200 liters per minute (LPM). The concentrator is preceded by an ultrafine impactor which separates the accumulation mode from ultrafine mode particles under a very low pressure drop (1.5 kPa), a feature that is essential in enabling human inhalation studies of ultrafine concentrated ambient particulates (CAP). A key feature of the UFPC is a new cooling system, consisting of a programmable refrigerated circulator, which produces the supersaturation that is necessary to grow ultrafine PM to supermicrometer sizes so that they can be concentrated by means of conventional virtual impaction. The new cooling system allows for entirely automated operation of the UFPC. The UFPC was characterized in field experiments, in which the concentration enrichment of ultrafine particles was determined based on their number and mass concentration as well as on chemical composition including elemental carbon (EC), inorganic ions (sulfate and nitrate), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Tests were conducted at minor-to-total flow ratios varying from 2.5-5% (hence at minor flow rates between 30-60 LPM). Measurements with the scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) showed a near-ideal increase in number concentrations (corresponding to the ratio of total-to-minor flow rate) of ultrafine particles after enrichment. The concentration enrichment was uniform across the entire particle diameter range of 15-660 nm. Similar results were obtained for EC and PAH concentrations (measured by an Aethalometer). Time-integrated filter-based tests, conducted to characterize the system for ultrafine PM mass and inorganic ion concentrations showed that the average enrichment factor was very close to the ideal values, indicating near perfect collection efficiency with minimal particle losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the use of continuous monitor, a fine particle nitrate monitor from Berkeley, California-based Aerosol Dynamics Inc. for measuring size-fractioned PM2.5 nitrate. Techniques for separating particles from ambient gases; Description of the size-segregated integrated collection and vaporization cell for nitrate measurement; Field comparison with time-integrated filter and impactor measurements.

Focuses on the chemical characterization of fine particle emissions from the fireplace combustion of woods grown in the U.S. Contribution of wood smoke to ambient fine particle levels; Conduction of fire place source test; List of emission factors for bulk chemical analysis.

Examines the chemical characterization of fine particle emissions from fireplace combustion of woods in the United States. Identification of wood species; Efficacy of compounds as source-specific tracers; Differences in emission rates of specific substituted phenols and resin acids.

Paper/pencil psychological tests such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) are difficult to complete independently by patients with limited hand function. This paper describes a voice recognition system developed to allow patients with no hand function to take the MMPI independently. Profiles generated by this system are not statistically different from those generated by standard MMPI booklet format. Limitations and possible extensions of the system as it currently exists are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous researchers have reported that newspapers were useful adjuncts to unintentional injury surveillance efforts in a nearby southern state. The current study sought to determine whether newspaper accounts of intentional injuries could provide a reliable source of primary or secondary surveillance data.Methods: Newspaper accounts of assaults, homicides, suicides, and rapes occurring in Jefferson County, Alabama, between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 1991, were compared with similar data from official governmental agencies whose responsibility it is to investigate and/or document the occurrence, details, and characteristics of violent events resulting in death or injury.Results: Newspapers greatly underreported suicides, rapes, and assaults, and reported firearms-related incidents in numbers that substantially exceeded their actual occurrence.Conclusions: Much information of potential value for injury surveillance purposes appears to be excluded from newspapers by editorial process and policy. Thus, newspapers are neither a valid nor reliable source for intentional injury surveillance purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Metaphorical expressions of persistent pain play an influential role in the modulation of pain. This may be particularly distressing for those with physical disabilities such as spinal cord injury (SCI). Neuropathic pain (NP) after SCI is often described using metaphorical expressions such as burning and electricity. This study explored the use of metaphors by those with NP after SCI.Design: A qualitative, semi-structured interview design was employed.Methods: Data were analysed using content analysis (CA) and interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore prevalence of metaphor use and its meaning. Sixteen individuals aged between 23 and 82 years, with chronic NP (persisting for 3 months or longer), arising from SCI were interviewed in their homes or on hospital wards (M = 10, F = 6). Interviews lasted between 40 and 120 min.Results: The results capture a range of metaphorical expressions embedded in participants' accounts. Three themes emerged: (1) pain as a personal attack, (2) the desire to be understood, and (3) conveying distress without adequate terminology. CA revealed that younger age, female gender, and outpatient status were associated with increased metaphor use.Conclusions: This study highlights the power of metaphor in eliciting understanding of NP after SCI from others, whilst demonstrating the challenge of communicating NP. Cognitive treatment that incorporates image-based techniques with acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies may encourage adaptive responses to, and interpretation of, pain. This may subsequently reduce pain-related distress and catastrophizing. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Neuropathic pain is often described with metaphorical language such as burning and crushing. For those with physical limitations, metaphor use may induce or exacerbate psychological distress. However, for those with spinal cord injuries, metaphor use has received little attention. What does this study add? Metaphor use is common in those with spinal cord injury, with differences across gender and age. Core metaphors used conceptualized pain as an attacker or likened pain to heat and burning. Such language may have benefits in terms of improved understanding and increased empathy, but may be reflective of catastrophic thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on distracted driving among adolescents. It states that 72 percent of individuals above 18 years in the U.S. use cellphone and text while driving, but only 28 percent identify cellphone use as a distraction. It offers information on manual, cognitive and visual distractions from driving. It further states that lack of experience alongwith distractions and cellphone use, results in higher accident risk in adolescents, as their reaction time is reduced.

Purpose: This article presents an in-depth, idiographic study examining the lived experience of chronic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI). Neuropathic pain (NP) occurs in a large majority of the SCI population and is particularly intractable to treatment. It can be both psychologically and physically debilitating. This study examines how the experience of NP is mediated by its meaning to the sufferer.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight people with SCI and chronic NP, attending outpatient clinics at a specialist SCI Centre in the UK. Verbatim transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis to further understand the experience.Results: Analysis suggested that NP has powerful consequences upon the sufferer’s physical, psychological and social well-being, in line with a biopsychosocial understanding of pain. Three super-ordinate themes were identified: a perceived gap between treatments received and participants’ views of what they wanted and needed; a fight for life control and acceptance; and feeling understood by others with SCI, but isolated from the non-understanding able-bodied.Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of the possible application of acceptance-based therapy to NP and the potential for the alleviation of the debilitating consequences of NP.Implications for RehabilitationChronic NP after SCI is often described as worse than the injury itself, often impacting upon the sufferers physical and psychological health.The experiences of persons with SCI-specific NP highlight the impact of pain on their physical, psychological and social health. This indicates that healthcare professionals should incorporate a biopsychosocial approach for managing pain post-SCI.Routine clinical follow-up of SCI patients with chronic NP, as well as comprehensive pain management treatment programmes, could address the three themes evidenced in the current study, by moving routine intervention with NP away from pain relief, towards pain management.Continued education for patients, friends, family members and healthcare professionals may be beneficial in promoting understanding and awareness of NP and its consequences following SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]