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Robert N Jamison,1 Robert R Edwards,1 Samantha Curran,1 Limeng Wan,1 Edgar L Ross,1 Christopher J Gilligan,1 Shai N Gozani2 1Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA; 2NeuroMetrix, Inc., Woburn, MA, USACorrespondence: Shai N GozaniNeuroMetrix, Inc., 4b Gill St., Woburn, MA, 01801, USATel +1 781 314 2789Fax +1 781 890 1556Email gozani@neurometrix.comPurpose: Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain and interference with daily activities. The aim of this study is to assess the benefit of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for persons diagnosed with fibromyalgia.Patients and Methods: Adults meeting diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia were randomized in a double-blind trial to receive either an active (n=62) or sham (n=57) wearable TENS device for 3-months. Subjects were classified as having lower or higher pain sensitivity by Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST). Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC, primary outcome) and secondary efficacy measures including Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and painDETECT questionnaire (PDQ) were assessed at baseline, 6-weeks and 3-months. Treatment effects were determined by a mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM) analysis of the intention-to-treat (ITT) population (N=119). A pre-specified subgroup analysis of pain sensitivity was conducted using an interaction term in the model.Results: No differences were found between active and sham treatment on PGIC scores at 3-months (0.34, 95% CI [− 0.37, 1.04], p=0.351) in the ITT population. However, in subjects with higher pain sensitivity (n=60), PGIC was significantly greater for active treatment compared to sham (1.19, 95% CI [0.24, 2.13], p=0.014). FIQR total score (− 7.47, 95% CI [− 12.46, − 2.48], p=0.003), FIQR pain item (− 0.62, 95% CI [− 1.17, − 0.06], p=0.029), BPI Interference (− 0.70, 95% CI [− 1.30, − 0.11], p=0.021) and PDQ (− 1.69, 95% CI [− 3.20, − 0.18], p=0.028) exhibited significant improvements for active treatment compared to sham in the ITT population. Analgesics use was stable and comparable in both groups.Conclusion: This study demonstrated modest treatment effects of reduced disease impact, pain and functional impairment from wearable TENS in individuals with fibromyalgia. Subjects with higher pain sensitivity exhibited larger treatment effects than those with lower pain sensitivity. Wearable TENS may be a safe treatment option for people with fibromyalgia.Clinicaltrials.gov Registration: NCT03714425.Keywords: fibromyalgia, wearable, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, neuromodulation, non-pharmacological treatment, clinical trial

Asimina Lazaridou,1 Alexandra Koulouris,1 Jaime K Devine,2 Monika Haack,2 Robert N Jamison,1 Robert R Edwards,1 Kristin L Schreiber1 1Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA; 2Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USACorrespondence: Kristin L SchreiberDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USATel +1 617 732 8218Email klschreiber@bwh.harvard.eduBackground: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic widespread pain disorder characterized by negative affect, sleep disturbance, and fatigue. This uncontrolled pilot study investigated the efficacy of daily yoga-based exercise to improve FM symptoms and explored baseline phenotypic characteristics associated with the greatest benefit.Methods: FM patients (n=46, with 36 completers) reported psychosocial functioning and a range of FM symptoms using validated instruments before and after participation in Satyananda yoga, which included weekly in-person pain-tailored group classes for 6 weeks and daily home yoga video practice.Results: Changes in FM symptoms from pre- to post-yoga were variable amongst participants. Group means for pain decreased, as reported by average daily diary and Brief Pain Inventory, with greater home practice minutes associated with a greater decrease in pain. Average daily ratings of sleep and fatigue improved. Pain catastrophizing was decreased overall, with greater change correlated to a decrease in FM symptoms. We did not observe any group mean changes in actigraphy sleep efficiency, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-anxiety and the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. Multilevel Modeling analysis revealed a significant interaction between anxiety and catastrophizing for end-study sleep efficiency, fatigue, and pain, such that patients with higher baseline catastrophizing and lower baseline anxiety reported less pain and fatigue, and higher sleep efficiency after the sixth week of yoga practice.Conclusion: This pilot study suggests that yoga may reduce pain and catastrophizing, as well as improve sleep, but these changes were modest across study participants. Greater uptake of home yoga practice as well as a phenotype of higher baseline catastrophizing combined with lower baseline anxiety were associated with greater impact. Future randomized, controlled trials comparing different types of yoga or exercise will allow determination of the most effective treatments for FM and allow closer targeting to the patients who will benefit most from them.Keywords: yoga, pain, fibromyalgia, sleep, catastrophizing

Nadia Zghoul,1 Edgar L Ross,2 Robert R Edwards,2 Adel Ahmed,1,3 Robert N Jamison2 1Clinical Research Department, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City, Kuwait; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Management Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA; 3Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait Background: Chronic pain with neuropathic characteristics is considered to be an international health problem. However, surveys on the actual incidence of neuropathic pain have not been conducted in many Middle East countries, including Kuwait. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence of pain and medical comorbidities among a random sample of patients treated at a large medical center in Kuwait. Methods: A list of 1,000 patients was created from the hospital medical record system, and a telephone survey was conducted on 759 patients who responded to the phone call, of which 67.2% (N=510) participated. Those who stated that they had pain every day for the past 3 months were invited to answer additional questions about their pain. Results: Fifty-six percentage of those surveyed (N=283) reported experiencing chronic pain. Total average age was 49.2 years (SD=14.5), 45.5% were female, and 70.5% were Kuwaiti nationals. Most (74.3%) reported having diabetes and one-third (32.2%) showed evidence of neuropathic pain characteristics (mean DN4=2.8, SD=1.7). Other comorbid medical conditions were prevalent (48.4% hypertension, 30.4% arthritis, 22.6% heart disease, and 20.4% asthma) with an average of 2.3 (SD=1.3) medical problems per person. Those with pain tended to be older, female, unemployed, and overweight (p

About one in every three individuals will experience chronic pain in their lifetime, and opioids are known to be an effective means to treat this condition. Much attention, however, has been given to the fact that prescription opioid analgesics are some of the most frequently abused drugs, and misuse is prominent in patients with chronic pain. Several new opioid formulations that are designed to prevent or deter the abuse of opioids are currently in development, and two have been approved for marketing (morphine sulphate co-formulated with naltrexone hydrochloride [Embeda®] and a new formulation of the extended-release oxycodone [OxyContin®]). In this article, we review the various types of abuse-deterrent and tamper-resistant formulations in clinical development. We believe that continued advances in opioid formulations can help mitigate risk for those with legitimate need for pain control, but only if used rationally in the context of good clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opioid analgesics provide effective treatment for non-cancer pain, but many physicians have concerns about adverse effects, tolerance, and addiction. Misuse of these drugs is prominent in patients with chronic pain. Recognition and early prevention of misuse helps physicians identify the causes and proceed with patient care. Most persons with chronic pain have a significant medical comorbidity (eg, asthma) that affects treatment decisions. All patients should undergo an initial comprehensive evaluation. Patients often have a psychiatric comorbidity, such as depression or anxiety. There is no gold standard for risk assessment, but several traditional measures may be used. Pain medicine practitioners increasingly are using urine drug screens to monitor adherence to long-term opioid therapy. Controlled substance agreements help improve patient compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain patients can be difficult. They can provoke negative feelings of frustration and anger among clinicians and damage the doctor-patient relationship. This article helps practitioners to identify those pain patients who would be prone to difficult behavior and sheds light on some of the reasons behind the behavior that give rise to difficult feelings. Issues of comorbid psychopathology, hostility, suicidality, aberrant drug behavior, and chronic noncompliance are discussed. Specific recommendations are also given of the best ways to manage patients with difficult behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opioids are thought to worsen the performance of psychomotor tasks due to their sedating and mental-clouding effects. As a result, some safety regulations currently restrict the use of opioids when driving or using heavy equipment. We investigated the psychomotor effects of long-term opioid use in 144 patients with low back pain. All subjects were administered two neuropsychological tests (Digit Symbol and Trail Making Test-B) before being prescribed opioids for pain; tests were re-administered at 90- and 180-day intervals. Test scores significantly improved while subjects were taking opioids for pain, which suggests that long-term use of oxycodone with acetaminophen or transdermal fentanyl does not significantly impair cognitive ability or psychomotor function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is becoming a widely used treatment for a number of pain conditions and is frequently considered as a pain management option when conservative or less invasive techniques have proven to be ineffective. Potential indications for SCS include complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), postherpetic neuralgia, traumatic nerve injury, failed back surgery syndrome, refractory angina pectoris, peripheral vascular disease, neuropathic pain, and visceral pain (Guttman et al. Pain Pract. 9:308-11, 2009). While research on SCS is in its infancy, it is clear that substantial variation exists in the degree of benefit obtained from SCS, and the procedure does not come without risks; thus focused patient selection is becoming very important. Psychological characteristics play an important role in shaping individual differences in the pain experience and may influence responses to SCS, as well as a variety of other pain treatments (Doleys Neurosurg Focus 21:E1, 2006). In addition to psychological assessment, quantitative sensory testing (QST) procedures offer another valuable resource in forecasting who may benefit most from SCS and may also shed light on mechanisms underlying the individual characteristics promoting the effectiveness of such procedures (Eisenberg et al. Pain Pract. 6:161-165, 2006). Here, we present a brief overview of recent studies examining these factors in their relationship with SCS outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP) is a brief, self-administered screening instrument used to assess suitability of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain patients. This study presents preliminary data to examine the reliability and validity of the SOAPP as a measure of risk of opioid abuse for patients on opioid medication. Patients taking opioids for noncancer pain (n = 396) from two pain centers completed the SOAPP prior to being placed on opioids for pain. Demographic data, SOAPP scores, and results of urine toxicology screens from the patients' medical records were examined. Patients were divided into two groups of high and low risk of opioid abuse potential based on cutoff scores of 8 and higher on the SOAPP Results showed that patients in the high-risk group were younger, more likely to be asked to give a urine screen, and had more abnormal urine screens compared with those in the low-risk group (P < 0.05). A combined factor analysis of the SOAPP revealed five factors labeled 1) history of substance abuse, 2) legal problems, 3) craving medication, 4) heavy smoking, and 5) mood swings. Preliminary support was found for the internal reliability and predictive validity of the SOAPP. Current limitations of the SOAPP and future directions for change are discussed. © 2006 US. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinicians often ask people with chronic pain about their perceived benefit from interventions designed to improve their pain. The aim of this study is to identify factors that contribute to underestimating or overestimating perceived changes in daily pain intensity over a month of daily assessments. We examined data from individuals with chronic pain who provided at least 28 daily assessments using a pain app as secondary analyses. Participants provided baseline demographic information and completed questionnaires assessing pain, activity interference, mood, pain disability, and catastrophizing. Using the pain app, they entered daily ratings of pain (0 = none, 10 = worst pain possible) and impressions of perceived day-to-day change (0 = better, 5 = same, and 10 = worse). Two hundred fifty-two (N = 252) subjects with chronic pain met the inclusion criteria of completing at least 28 daily assessments. Those who underestimated their improvement tended to have higher pain intensity at baseline (P < .001), reported greater activity interference and disability (P < .001), and were prone to greater catastrophizing and anxiety and depression (P < .01). People who were more accurate in assessing their improvement engaged less with the app with fewer 2-way messages compared with those who either underestimated or overestimated their improvement and who had more 2-way messaging (P < .05). This longitudinal study suggests that those who report greater levels of catastrophizing and anxiety and depression are more likely to underestimate any improvements in their pain over time but seem to engage more with a pain app. Future research will help in our understanding of what magnitude of perceived change in pain ratings is clinically meaningful. PERSPECTIVE: Those who report greater levels of pain, disability, anxiety, depression, and catastrophizing are most prone to underestimate improvements of their pain over time., (Copyright © 2024 United States Association for the Study of Pain, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: High prevalence of depression or anxiety with opioid use for chronic pain complicates co-management and may influence prescribing behaviors., Objective: Compare clinical effectiveness of electronic medical record clinical decision support (EMR-CDS) versus additional behavioral health (BH) care management for reducing rates of high-dose opioid prescriptions., Design: Type 2 effectiveness-implementation hybrid stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial in 35 primary care clinics within a health system in LA, USA., Participants: Patients aged 18+ receiving chronic opioid therapy for non-cancer pain with depression or anxiety and matched controls., Intervention: EMR-CDS included opioid risk mitigation procedures. BH care included cognitive behavioral therapy; depression or anxiety medication adjustments; and case management., Main Measures: Outcomes of interest included difference-in-difference (DID) estimate of changes in probability for prescribing high-dose morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD ≥50 mg/day and MEDD ≥90), average MEDD, and rates of hospitalization, emergency department use, and opioid risk mitigation., Key Results: Most participants were female with 3+ pain syndromes. Data analysis included 632 patients. Absolute risk differences for MEDD≥50 and ≥90 decreased post-index compared to pre-index (DID of absolute risk difference [95%CI]: -0.036 [-0.089, 0.016] and -0.029 [-0.060, 0.002], respectively). However, these differences were not statistically significant. The average MEDD decreased at a higher rate for the BH group compared to EMR-CDS only (DID rate ratio [95%CI]: 0.85 [0.77, 0.93]). There were no changes in hospitalization and emergency department utilization. The BH group had higher probabilities of new specialty referrals and prescriptions for naloxone and antidepressants., Conclusions: Incorporation of a multidisciplinary behavioral health care team into primary care did not decrease high-dose prescribing; however, it improved adherence to clinical guideline recommendations for managing chronic opioid therapy for non-cancer pain., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT03889418., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society of General Internal Medicine.)

Objectives: Chronic pain is a significant health concern that adversely affects all aspects of life, including emotional well-being. Opioids are prescribed for the management of refractory, severe chronic pain, although they have been associated with adverse effects, including addiction and overdose. The aim of this study was to examine factors that predict thoughts of self-harm among adults with chronic pain who are prescribed opioids., Materials and Methods: Seven hundred sixty-five (N=765) persons with opioid-treated chronic lower back pain completed the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) and other validated questionnaires as part of a larger study. Response to 1 question from the COMM ("How often have you seriously thought about hurting yourself?") was used to assess suicide risk on a 5-point scale (0=never; 4=very often)., Results: Participants were categorized into 3 groups according to their responses to the self-harm question: never (N=628; 82.1%), seldom or sometimes (N=74; 9.7%), and often or very often (N=63; 8.2%). Multivariate adjusted odds ratio (aOR) analyses indicated that reports of alcohol or drug overuse within the past month (aOR=1.41,[95% CI 1.11-1.78]), posttraumatic stress (PTSD; aOR=1.24,[1.07 to 1.44]), pain catastrophizing (aOR=1.03,[1.01 to 1.05]), not loving oneself (aOR=0.99,[.98-1.00]) and poor perceived mental health (aOR=0.94,[.92 to 97]) were most associated with thoughts of self-harm. Importantly, the ideation frequency of self-harm was highest among individuals treated with higher daily doses of opioids., Discussion: These results support the need for continued monitoring of adults treated with opioids for chronic pain, particularly among those on high-dose opioids who present with increased negative affect and concerns of substance misuse., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults with opioid-treated chronic low back pain (CLBP), an understudied area. Participants in a "parent" clinical trial of non-pharmacologic treatments for CLBP were invited to complete a one-time survey on the perceived pandemic impact across several CLBP- and opioid therapy-related domains. Participant clinical and other characteristics were derived from the parent study's data. Descriptive statistics and latent class analysis analyzed quantitative data; qualitative thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data. The survey was completed by 480 respondents from June 2020 to August 2021. The majority reported a negative pandemic impact on their life (84.8%), with worsened enjoyment of life (74.6%), mental health (74.4%), pain (53.8%), pain-coping skills (49.7%), and finances (45.3%). One-fifth (19.4%) of respondents noted increased use of prescribed opioids; at the same time, decreased access to medication and overall healthcare was reported by 11.3% and 61.6% of respondents, respectively. Latent class analysis of the COVID-19 survey responses revealed 2 patterns of pandemic-related impact; those with worse pandemic-associated harms (n = 106) had an overall worse health profile compared to those with a lesser pandemic impact. The pandemic substantially affected all domains of relevant health-related outcomes as well as healthcare access, general wellbeing, and financial stability among adults with opioid-treated CLBP. A more nuanced evaluation revealed a heterogeneity of experiences, underscoring the need for both increased overall support for this population and for an individualized approach to mitigate harms induced by pandemic or similar crises., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

COVID-19 social distancing mandates increased social isolation, resulting in changes in pain severity and interference among individuals with chronic pain. Differences in personality (e.g., introversion/extraversion) may modulate responses to social isolation. We examined the influence of introversion on reported social distancing-related increases in pain interference and assessed for mediators of this relationship. Individuals with chronic pain (n = 150) completed validated questionnaires 4-8 weeks after implementation of social distancing mandates. Introversion/extraversion was measured using a subscale of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and changes in pain and psychosocial variables were calculated by comparing participants' recalled and current scores. Association between introversion/extraversion and other variables were assessed using linear regression. A parallel mediation was used to examine mediators of the association between introversion and change in pain interference. Higher introversion was associated with a decrease in pain interference after social distancing (Rho = - .194, p = .017). Parallel mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between introversion/extraversion and change in pain interference was mediated by changes in sleep disturbance and depression, such that higher introversion was associated with less isolation-induced sleep disruption and depression, and thereby less worsening of pain interference. These findings suggest that personality factors such as introversion/extraversion should be considered when personalizing treatment of chronic pain., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) are commonly prescribed long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for analgesia, placing this population at increased risk for opioid misuse and opioid use disorder. Acceptance of aversive experiences (e.g., chronic pain) and awareness of automatic thoughts and behaviors (i.e., automaticity) are two facets of dispositional mindfulness that may serve as protective mechanisms against opioid misuse risk. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine the differential contributions of these constructs to opioid misuse risk among adults with CLBP receiving LTOT., Methods: Data were obtained from a sample of 770 adults with opioid-treated CLBP. Bivariate correlations and hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to determine whether chronic pain acceptance and awareness of automatic thoughts and behaviors explained a statistically significant portion of variance in opioid misuse risk after accounting for the effects of other relevant confounders., Results: Hierarchical regression results revealed that chronic pain acceptance and awareness of automatic thoughts and behaviors contributed a significant portion in the variance of opioid misuse risk. Awareness of automatic thoughts and behaviors was negatively associated with opioid misuse risk, such that individuals with lower levels of awareness of automaticity were at higher risk of opioid misuse. By contrast, pain acceptance was not associated with opioid misuse., Conclusions: Findings suggest that awareness of automaticity may buffer against opioid misuse risk. Interventions designed to strengthen awareness of automaticity (e.g., mindfulness-based interventions) might be especially efficacious among this population., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Eric Garland, PhD, LCSW is the Director of the Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development. The Center provides Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), mindfulness-based therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy in the context of research trials for no cost to research participants; however, Dr. Garland has received honoraria and payment for delivering seminars, lectures, and teaching engagements (related to training clinicians in MORE and mindfulness) sponsored by institutions of higher education, government agencies, academic teaching hospitals, and medical centers. Dr. Garland also receives royalties from the sale of books related to MORE. Dr. Garland is also a consultant and licensor to BehaVR, LLC., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device (Quell®) for persons with symptoms due to fibromyalgia (FM)., Materials and Methods: One hundred nineteen (N = 119) subjects were randomly assigned to use an active (N = 62) or sham (N = 57) TENS for three months. All subjects completed baseline questionnaires and were administered quantitative sensory testing (QST). Subjects completed the Patients' Global Impression of Change (PGIC, primary outcome measure) and other mailed questionnaires (secondary outcome measures) at six weeks and three months., Results: The subjects averaged 50.4 ± 13.5 years of age, 93.3% were female, and 79.8% were Caucasian. Most showed benefit from using the TENS, but no differences between groups were found on the primary outcome measure after three months (active 3.87 ± 1.85, sham 3.73 ± 1.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.60, 0.88], p = 0.707). Those with more hypersensitivity showed most improvement on the PGIC at six weeks (0.22, 95% CI [0.01, 0.43], p = 0.042) and three months (0.20, 95% CI [0.00, 0.41], p = 0.049) and among those with higher sensitivity based on QST, the active TENS group showed the most benefit with TENS compared with the sham treatment (1.20, 95% CI [0.22, 2.18], p = 0.017). No TENS-related serious adverse events were reported. Subjects in the sham group correctly identified their treatment 87.5% of the time, while, surprisingly, subjects in the active group correctly identified their treatment only 17.4% of the time., Conclusion: This study found no differences between those who were exposed to maximal-frequency active stimulation or minimal-frequency sham stimulation from a wearable TENS in reducing FM-related symptoms. However, those with greater hypersensitivity showed most benefit from TENS. Additional studies to help determine the role individual differences play in the use of TENS in managing FM-related symptoms are needed., (Copyright © 2022 International Neuromodulation Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is among the most common and disabling persistent pain conditions, with increasing prevalence and impact around the globe. In the U.S., the rising prevalence of knee OA has been paralleled by an increase in annual rates of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), a surgical treatment option for late-stage knee OA. While TKA outcomes are generally good, post-operative trajectories of pain and functional status vary substantially; a significant minority of patients report ongoing pain and impaired function following TKA. A number of studies have identified sets of biopsychosocial risk factors for poor post-TKA outcomes (e.g., comorbidities, negative affect, sensory sensitivity), but few prospective studies have systematically evaluated the unique and combined influence of a broad array of factors., Methods: This multi-site longitudinal cohort study investigated predictors of 6-month pain and functional outcomes following TKA. A wide spectrum of relevant biopsychosocial predictors was assessed preoperatively by medical history, patient-reported questionnaire, functional testing, and quantitative sensory testing in 248 patients undergoing TKA, and subsequently examined for their predictive capacity., Results: The majority of patients had mild or no pain at 6 months, and minimal pain-related impairment, but approximately 30% reported pain intensity ratings of 3/10 or higher. Reporting greater pain severity and dysfunction at 6 months post-TKA was predicted by higher preoperative levels of negative affect, prior pain history, opioid use, and disrupted sleep. Interestingly, lower levels of resilience-related "positive" psychosocial characteristics (i.e., lower agreeableness, lower social support) were among the strongest, most consistent predictors of poor outcomes in multivariable linear regression models. Maladaptive profiles of pain modulation (e.g., elevated temporal summation of pain), while not robust unique predictors, interacted with psychosocial risk factors such that the TKA patients with the most pain and dysfunction exhibited lower resilience and enhanced temporal summation of pain., Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of considering psychosocial (particularly positively-oriented resilience variables) and sensory profiles, as well as their interaction, in understanding post-surgical pain trajectories., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

People living with HIV (PLWH) experience higher rates of comorbid chronic pain conditions compared to the general population. Managing HIV and chronic pain, two stigmatized health conditions, can exacerbate physical and psychological suffering. The current qualitative study was designed to increase our understanding of the experience of living with HIV and chronic pain. Twenty participants were recruited from a hospital-based immunology center to participate in individual in-depth qualitative interviews. The interviews focused on the experience of living with (or managing) chronic pain for PLWH. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and double-coded. Several themes emerged from our applied thematic analysis of the transcripts. The primary theme was that pain remained poorly managed among PLWH. Patients engaged in a variety of pain management strategies and described benefits from both traditional pain management interventions (e.g., pharmacology, physical therapy) as well as non-traditional approaches (e.g., medical marijuana, cannabidiol products, and spirituality). Other themes that emerged included barriers related to health insurance and the need to validate the patient pain experience. PLWH and chronic pain described compounding effects of managing two chronic health conditions, including perceived immune system over-activation, heightened awareness of illness, and negative mindset. More research is needed to improve care for those managing these often co-occurring health conditions., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Abstract: Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of opioid analgesics for the treatment of acute and chronic pain conditions, and for some patients, these medications may be the only effective treatment available. Unfortunately, opioid analgesics are also associated with major risks (eg, opioid use disorder) and adverse outcomes (eg, respiratory depression and falls). The risks and adverse outcomes associated with opioid analgesics have prompted efforts to reduce their use in the treatment of both acute and chronic pain. This article presents Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT) consensus recommendations for the design of opioid-sparing clinical trials. The recommendations presented in this article are based on the following definition of an opioid-sparing intervention: any intervention that (1) prevents the initiation of treatment with opioid analgesics, (2) decreases the duration of such treatment, (3) reduces the total dosages of opioids that are prescribed for or used by patients, or (4) reduces opioid-related adverse outcomes (without increasing opioid dosages), all without causing an unacceptable increase in pain. These recommendations are based on the results of a background review, presentations and discussions at an IMMPACT consensus meeting, and iterative drafts of this article modified to accommodate input from the co-authors. We discuss opioid sparing definitions, study objectives, outcome measures, the assessment of opioid-related adverse events, incorporation of adequate pain control in trial design, interpretation of research findings, and future research priorities to inform opioid-sparing trial methods. The considerations and recommendations presented in this article are meant to help guide the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of future trials., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the International Association for the Study of Pain.)

The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches for reducing pain intensity (primary outcome) and depressive symptoms (secondary outcome) as well as improving physical functioning (secondary outcome) among U.S. military personnel living with chronic pain. Studies were retrieved from bibliographic databases, databases of funded research, and reference sections of relevant articles. Studies that (a) evaluated a CIH approach to promote chronic pain management among military personnel, (b) used a randomized controlled trial design, and (c) assessed pain intensity were included. Two coders extracted data from each study and calculated effect sizes. Discrepancies between coders were resolved through discussion. Comprehensive searches identified 12 studies (k = 15 interventions) that met inclusion criteria. CIH practices included cognitive-behavioral therapies (k = 5), positive psychology (k = 3), yoga (k = 2), acupuncture (k = 2), mindfulness-based interventions (k = 2), and biofeedback (k = 1). Across these studies, participants who received the intervention reported greater reductions in pain intensity (d+ = 0.44, 95% CI [0.21, 0.67], k = 15) compared to controls. Statistically significant improvements were also observed for physical functioning (d+ = 0.36, 95% CI [0.11, 0.61], k = 11) but not for depressive symptoms (d+ = 0.21, 95% CI [-0.15, 0.57], k = 8). CIH approaches reduced pain intensity and improved physical functioning. These approaches offer a nonpharmacological, nonsurgical intervention for chronic pain management for military personnel. Future studies should optimize interventions to improve depressive symptoms in military populations experiencing chronic pain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: This pilot study was designed to determine the feasibility, tolerability, safety, and efficacy of group teletherapy for persons with chronic pain. The aim was to present preliminary outcomes of an open trial of group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) teletherapy compared with an in-person chronic pain patient group., Methods: We recruited 47 chronic pain patients to participate in an 8-session, 2-hour-per-week, online, structured, CBT-oriented pain management group using WebEx and compared them with 46 subjects who participated in a parallel, content-matched, in-person, weekly group. Both groups included goal setting, skills training, relaxation exercises, group discussion, and practice assignments. All subjects completed baseline measures, which were repeated post-treatment. Those in the online group participated in weekly telephone interviews and rated the perceived helpfulness of the remote group., Results: The average age of the online group participants was 54.5 ( ± 14.3) years and 70.2% were female, compared with 59.7 ( ± 13.0) years of age and 57.8% females among the in-person group members. On follow-up, both CBT groups showed modest improvements on the outcome measures. Results of this preliminary investigation comparing online teletherapy with in-person CBT suggest similar benefit. Many participants in the online group rated their experience as very helpful (62.5%; 7-10/10) and most would recommend this programme to others (93.7%; 7-10/10)., Discussion: Preliminary findings suggest that online group CBT may be as effective in improving coping among persons with chronic pain as in-person groups. More rigorous controlled trials are needed to adequately assess the outcome benefit of online teletherapy for chronic pain.

Objective: A systematic review designed to evaluate the benefits of remote group pain management for persons with chronic pain was performed., Methods: PubMed, EMBASE and PsychINFO databases were searched in April 2019. Eligible studies evaluated teletherapy for chronic pain based on set inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently screened eligible studies, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. Each study design was rated and study quality was assessed using an 11-point scale of methodological quality., Results: Comprehensive searches identified 12 studies that met all inclusion/exclusion criteria and each study was assessed for type of technology, study design, outcome measures, study findings and limitations. No published studies investigated synchronous teletherapy for groups of chronic pain patients. Methods of assessment varied considerably across studies. Strength of evidence was moderate and many of the selected studies had issues with treatment compliance/adherence and selection bias. Teletherapy strategies for persons with chronic pain were shown to improve pain, mood, disability and catastrophising, however half of the studies selected did not meet the criteria for acceptable standards for internal validity. Those trials with limited therapist involvement appeared to be less beneficial and tended to report lower adherence than those which had higher levels of therapist guidance or peer support., Conclusions: Preliminary findings suggest that teletherapy and remote online cognitive behavioural therapy strategies can be effective in improving quality of life among persons with chronic pain, although the overall quality of evidence is moderate. Controlled trials are needed to assess live remote teletherapy for chronic pain.

Even though current prescribing trends reveal that high-dose opioid prescribing and opioid prescribing in general has decreased, sustained efforts are needed to help providers adopt and maintain safe prescribing behaviors. The purpose of this four-year type 2 effectiveness-implementation hybrid stepped wedge cluster randomized trial is to: (1) compare the clinical and cost effectiveness of electronic medical record-based clinical decision support [EMR-CDS] versus additional integrated, collaborative behavioral health [EMR-CDS + BHI-CCM] for opioid management of patients with co-morbid chronic non-cancer pain with depression or anxiety; and (2) examine facilitators and barriers to implementing these interventions within 35 primary care clinics in a integrated delivery health system. The EMR-CDS alerts providers to employ opioid risk mitigation and safe prescribing practices at the point of care. The BHI-CCM consists of primary care embedded community health workers for case management; licensed clinical social workers for cognitive behavioral therapy, and a clinical pharmacist for medication management who provide care management via telemedicine (virtual video or audio only visits) under the guidance of a consulting psychiatrist. The primary outcome is reduction in the percentage of patients with average daily opioid dose ≥50 mg morphine equivalent. Secondary outcomes include changes in service utilization, patient reported outcomes and processes of care. The investigators anticipate that study results will elucidate the role of technology versus care team optimization in changing opioid prescribing behaviors. The investigators further anticipate that integrated mental/behavioral health care will increase value-based care and the efficiency with which guideline concordant care is delivered., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact, including on individuals with chronic pain. The social distancing policies necessary to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 have involved increased levels of social isolation. This cross-sectional survey study examined pain severity and interference among individuals with chronic pain during an early phase of social distancing mandates and identified characteristics of individuals who were most impacted. Approximately 4 to 8 weeks after social distancing mandates commenced in the state of Massachusetts, 150 patients with fibromyalgia, chronic spine, and postsurgical pain completed demographic, pain, social distancing, and validated psychosocial questionnaires. Patients self-reported an overall significant increase in pain severity and pain interference, compared with before social distancing, although both pain severity and interference were quite variable among individuals under conditions of social distancing. Several demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors were associated with greater pain severity and interference during social distancing. Multivariable linear regression demonstrated that female sex, nonwhite race, lower education, disability, fibromyalgia, and higher pain catastrophizing were independently associated with greater pain severity, while female sex and pain catastrophizing were independently associated greater pain interference. The findings suggest that individual differences among patients with chronic pain should be considered in the planning, development, and prioritization of interventions to improve pain care and to prevent worsening of symptoms during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic., (Copyright © 2020 International Association for the Study of Pain.)

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an international problem of alarming epidemic proportions. T2DM can develop due to multiple factors, and it usually begins with prediabetes. Fortunately, this disease can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle. However, many health care systems fail to properly educate the public on disease prevention and to offer support in embracing behavioral interventions to prevent diabetes. SMS messaging has been combined with cost-effective ways to reach out to the population at risk for medical comorbidities. To our knowledge, the use of nationwide SMS messaging in the Middle East as a screening tool to identify individuals who might be at risk of developing T2DM has not been reported in the literature., Objective: The primary aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of conducting a series of SMS messaging campaigns directed at random smartphone users in Kuwait for the detection and prevention of T2DM. It was predicted that 1% of those receiving the text message would find it relevant and participate in the study. The secondary aim of this study was to assess the incidence of participation of those who were forwarded the initial text message by family members and friends., Methods: In this study, 5 separate text message screening campaigns were launched inviting recipients to answer 6 questions to determine the risk of developing T2DM. If subjects agreed to participate, a link to the prediabetes screening test devised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was automatically transmitted to their mobile devices. Those identified as high risk were invited to participate in a diabetes prevention program., Results: A total of 180,000 SMSs were sent to approximately 6% of the adult population in Kuwait. Of these, 0.14% (260/180,000) of the individuals who received the SMS agreed to participate, of whom 58.8% (153/260) completed the screening. Surprisingly, additional surveys were completed by 367 individuals who were invited via circulated SMS messages forwarded by family members and friends. Altogether, 23.3% (121/520) qualified and agreed to participate in a diabetes prevention program. The majority of those who chose to participate in the prevention program were overweight, aged 45-65 years, and reported being less physically active than those who chose not to participate (χ 2 2 =42.1, P<.001)., Conclusions: Although health care screening via text messaging was found to have limited effectiveness by itself, it exhibited increased reach through shared second-party social media messaging. Despite the fact a subpopulation at possible risk of developing T2DM could be reached via text messaging, most responders were informed about the screening campaign by family and friends. Future research should be designed to tap into the benefits of social media use in health risk campaigns., (©Naeema Alqabandi, Ebaa Al-Ozairi, Adel Ahmed, Edgar L Ross, Robert N Jamison. Originally published in JMIR Diabetes (http://diabetes.jmir.org), 12.11.2020.)

There is a pressing need to better understand the factors contributing to prescription opioid misuse among patients with chronic pain. Cross-sectional studies have been conducted in this area, but longitudinal studies examining the determinants of prescription opioid misuse repeatedly over the course of opioid therapy have yet to be conducted. The main objective of this study was to examine the relative contribution of pain and psychological factors to the occurrence of opioid misuse among patients with chronic pain prescribed opioids. Of particular interest was to examine whether pain intensity and psychological factors were more strongly associated with certain types of opioid misuse behaviors. Patients with chronic pain (n = 194) prescribed long-term opioid therapy enrolled in this longitudinal observational cohort study. Patients completed baseline measures and were then followed for 6 months. Opioid misuse was assessed once a month using self-report measures, and urine toxicology screens complemented patients' reports of opioid misuse. Heightened pain intensity levels were associated with a greater likelihood of opioid misuse (p = .014). However, pain intensity was no longer significantly associated with opioid misuse when controlling for psychological factors (i.e., negative affect, catastrophizing). Subsequent analyses revealed that higher levels of catastrophizing were associated with a greater likelihood of running out of opioid medication early, even after controlling for patients' levels of pain intensity and negative affect (p = .016). Our findings provide new insights into the determinants of prescription opioid misuse and have implications for the nature of interventions that may be used to reduce specific types of opioid misuse behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Objectives: The opioid epidemic is a significant public health problem that is associated with overdose and death. The increase in opioid-related problems can largely be attributed to increases in opioid prescriptions for the treatment of chronic pain. Unfortunately, there is not a consensus on a definition of opioid misuse in the context of chronic pain, making measurement a challenge. One commonly used measure to assess opioid misuse in the context of chronic pain is the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM). The COMM was designed to assess opioid misuse generally, as captured by psychiatric symptoms and aberrant drug use behaviors. Although studies have examined cross-validation using correlations, little psychometric work has been conducted, and therefore it is currently unknown what domains the measure is assessing., Materials and Methods: The current study examined the factor structure of the COMM using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis among 445 opioid-using adults with chronic pain., Results: The results did not support the widely accepted 1-factor opioid misuse solution; rather they supported a 2-factor, psychiatric problems and aberrant-drug-use-problems factor structure. Convergent and divergent validity were also examined at the bivariate level., Discussion: Given the importance and relevance for opioid misuse in the context of chronic pain, it is important for researchers to continue assessing and providing psychometric evidence for the COMM.

Epidemiological studies suggest that women are not only at a higher risk for developing knee osteoarthritis (KOA), but also report greater symptom severity compared to men. One potential underlying mechanism of these sex differences may be exaggerated inflammatory responses to pain among women compared to men. The present study examined sex differences in interleukin-6 (IL-6) response over time following experimental pain testing. We hypothesized that women, when compared to men, would show greater IL-6 reactivity when exposed to acute pain in a human laboratory setting. Eighty-four participants (36 men and 48 women) with KOA scheduled for total knee arthroplasty underwent a quantitative sensory testing (QST) battery. A total of seven IL-6 measurements were taken, twice at baseline, once immediately after QST, and every 30 minutes up to 2 hours after QST. Consistent with our hypothesis, women, when compared to men, showed accelerated increases in IL-6 levels following laboratory-evoked pain, even after controlling for body mass index, marital status, clinical pain, evoked pain sensitivity, and situational pain catastrophizing. Given that KOA is a chronic condition, and individuals with KOA frequently experience pain, these sex differences in IL-6 reactivity may contribute to the maintenance and/or exacerbation of KOA symptoms. PERSPECTIVES: The present study demonstrates that women, when compared to men, exhibit greater IL-6 reactivity after exposure to laboratory-evoked pain. Such sex differences may explain the mechanisms underlying women's higher chronic pain risk and pain perception, as well as provide further insight in developing personalized pain interventions., (Copyright © 2019 United States Association for the Study of Pain, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although many pain-related smartphone apps exist, little attention has been given to understanding how these apps are used over time and what factors contribute to greater compliance and patient engagement., Objective: This retrospective analysis was designed to help identify factors that predicted the benefits and future use of a smartphone pain app among patients with chronic pain., Methods: An app designed for both Android and iOS devices was developed by Brigham and Women's Hospital Pain Management Center (BWH-PMC) for users with chronic pain to assess and monitor pain and communicate with their providers. The pain app offered chronic pain assessment, push notification reminders and communication, personalized goal setting, relaxation sound files, topics of interest with psychological and medical pain management strategies, and line graphs from daily assessments. BWH-PMC recruited 253 patients with chronic pain over time to use the pain app. All subjects completed baseline measures and were asked to record their progress every day using push notification daily assessments. After 3 months, participants completed follow-up questionnaires and answered satisfaction questions. We defined the number of completed daily assessments as a measure of patient engagement with the pain app., Results: The average age of participants was 51.5 years (SD 13.7, range 18-92), 72.8% (182/253) were female, and 36.8% (78/212) reported the low back as their primary pain site. The number of daily assessments ranged from 1 to 426 (average 62.0, SD 49.9). The app was easy to introduce among patients, and it was well accepted. Those who completed more daily assessments (greater patient engagement) throughout the study were more likely to report higher pain intensity, more activity interference, and greater disability and were generally overweight compared with others. Patients with higher engagement with the app rated the app as offering greater benefit in coping with their pain and expressed more willingness to use the app in the future (P<.05) compared with patients showing lower engagement. Patients completing a small number of daily assessments reported less pain intensity, less daily activity interference, and less pain-related disability on average and were less likely to use the two-way messaging than those who were more engaged with the pain app (P<.05)., Conclusions: Patients with chronic pain who appeared to manage their pain better were less likely to report benefits of a smartphone pain app designed for chronic pain management. They demonstrated lower patient engagement in reporting their daily progress, in part, owing to the perceived burden of regularly using an app without a perceived benefit. An intrinsically different pain app designed and targeted for individuals based on early identification of user characteristics and adapted for each individual would likely improve compliance and app-related patient engagement., (©Edgar L N Ross, Robert N Jamison, Lance Nicholls, Barbara M Perry, Kim D Nolen. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 16.04.2020.)

Objectives: This prospective cohort study examines the clinical effectiveness of electronic medical record clinical decision support (EMR CDS) for opioid prescribing., Methods: Data analysis included primary care patients with chronic opioid therapy for noncancer pain seen within an integrated health delivery system in Louisiana between January 2017 and October 2018. EMR CDS incorporated an opioid health maintenance tool to display the status of risk mitigation, and the medication order embedded the morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) calculator and a hyperlink to the Louisiana pharmacy drug monitoring program. Outcome measures included change in the average MEDD and rates of opioid risk mitigation, hospitalization, and emergency department use., Results: Among 14 221 patients, 9% had prescriptions with an average MEDD ≥90 mg. There were no significant changes in MEDD after EMR CDS implementation. Increasing age, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, female sex, black non-Hispanic race, non-opioid pain medication co-prescriptions, and specialty referrals were associated with a lower odds of MEDD ≥90 (high-dose threshold). Medicare or self-pay, substance abuse history, and pain agreements were associated with increased odds of prescribing above this high-dose threshold. After incorporation of EMR CDS, patients had higher rates of urine drug screens (17% vs 7%) and naloxone prescriptions (3% vs 1%, all P < .001). In addition, specialty referrals to physical or occupational therapy, orthopedics, neurology, and psychiatry or psychology increased in the postintervention period. Although emergency department use decreased (rate ratio 0.92; 95% confidence interval 0.89-0.95), hospitalization rates did not change., Conclusions: EMR CDS improved adherence to opioid risk mitigation strategies. Further research examining which practice redesign interventions effectively reduce high-dose opioid prescribing is needed., (Copyright © 2019 ISPOR–The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chronic pain is common in patients with prescription opioid use disorder (OUD), and pain severity has been shown to predict opioid use for those with chronic pain. However, recent research suggests that focusing on pain status (i.e., the presence or absence of chronic pain) at treatment initiation may not reflect the clinical significance of pain over the long-term course of OUD. Reports of variability in chronic pain and its clinical significance over time have yet to be investigated in patients with prescription OUD. The present study examined variability in chronic pain status from entry into prescription OUD treatment through 3.5-year follow-up. Additionally, we examined the association between concurrent chronic pain and opioid use at three follow-up time points., Methods: This secondary analysis (N = 309) of a national, randomized, controlled trial of prescription OUD treatment used generalized estimating equations to assess variability in the prevalence of chronic pain from study entry to 3.5-year follow-up, and the association between chronic pain status and concurrent opioid use., Results: Fifty-three percent of participants reported variability in chronic pain status over time. The prevalence of chronic pain decreased from study entry through follow-up (aOR = 0.47, p < 0.001). Chronic pain was associated with increased opioid use at each follow-up assessment (aOR = 3.56, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Chronic pain status may vary over time in those with prescription OUD, and chronic pain appears to be associated with concurrent opioid use. The present findings highlight the importance of assessing chronic pain throughout the course of prescription OUD., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: This controlled trial examined the benefit of a high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (hfTENS) device (the Quell, NeuroMetrix, Inc., Waltham, MA, U.S.A.) for patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP)., Methods: Thirty-five (n = 35) participants were randomly assigned to use the device each day for 3 months (experimental group) and were compared with 33 subjects without the device (treatment-as-usual control group). All patients were instructed to complete baseline questionnaires and were assessed on thresholds of pressure pain and mechanical temporal summation as part of standardized quantitative sensory testing (QST). The subjects also uploaded smartphone applications (apps) for tracking use of the hfTENS and for daily pain assessment. Each participant completed weekly phone interviews, was prompted to complete daily pain app assessments, and was asked to repeat the baseline questionnaires again after 6 weeks and 3 months., Results: Sixty percent of the subjects were female, 77.9% were Caucasian, and the average age was 46.2 years. Significant reductions in pain intensity (P < 0.01) and activity interference (P < 0.025) and significant improvements in pain catastrophizing (P < 0.025) were noted in the experimental group compared with the control group. No group differences were found on depression, anxiety, or pain-related disability. Older subjects with a longer duration of pain tended to use the hfTENS more often. Subjects who showed greater sensitivity based on QST results revealed increased use of the hfTENS (P < 0.025) and tended to believe that the hfTENS was more helpful in reducing their back pain, but these findings did not reach significance (P = 0.09)., Conclusion: These results suggest that hfTENS can have a moderate effect in reducing pain and improving quality of life in low back pain patients. Further trials designed to determine the mechanism of action of the hfTENS are needed., (© 2019 World Institute of Pain.)

Introduction: Chronic pain patients frequently report having sleep disturbances and many tend to stay up during the night and then sleep into the day., Objectives: This study was designed to compare a heterogeneous group of persons with chronic pain who reported typically going to bed between the hours of 9 pm and midnight with those who go to bed at other hours of the day and night., Methods: Two hundred seventy-nine participants were divided between those who reported going to bed between the hours of 9 pm and midnight (N = 205) and those who reported having atypical bedtimes (N = 74) based on pre-post questionnaire data and average pain assessments from a smartphone pain application (app)., Results: Those individuals in the atypical bedtime group reported waking up more frequently and getting fewer hours sleep ( P < 0.05). These individuals also reported significantly higher pain scores, activity interference, and taking more prescription opioid medication compared with those who had typical bedtimes ( P < 0.05). Based on average 3-month daily assessments, those subjects with an atypical bedtime consistently reported more sleep disturbances, pain, activity interference, negative mood, and general worsening conditions over time, and elevated pain catastrophizing, pain-related disability, emotional distress scores, and more prescription medication for pain at 3-month follow-up ( P < 0.01)., Conclusion: These results support the importance of providers asking patients with pain about what time they typically go to bed at night to gain a greater understanding of their lifestyle habits. Future studies are needed to further determine the importance of maintaining a typical bedtime among patients with chronic pain., Competing Interests: Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The International Association for the Study of Pain.)

This study compared persons with chronic pain who consistently reported that their pain was worsening with those who reported that their pain was improving or remaining the same per daily assessment data from a smartphone pain app. All participants completed baseline measures and were asked to record their progress every day by answering whether their overall condition had improved, remained the same, or gotten worse (perceived change) on a visual analogue scale. One hundred forty-four individuals with chronic pain who successfully entered daily assessments were included. Those persons who were classified as worse showed significantly higher pain intensity scores, greater activity interference, higher disability and mood disturbance scores, and higher scores on the Pain Catastrophizing Scale both at baseline and after 3 months (P < .001). Repeated measures analyses and multilevel modeling of perceived change data over different time intervals of 20 assessments over 40 days, 10 assessments over 20 days, and 5 assessments over 10 days were examined. These analyses demonstrated that group classification of better, same, and worse could be reliably determined, even with as few as 5 assessments. These results support the use of innovative mobile health technology to identify individuals who are prone to catastrophize about their pain. Perspective: This study demonstrated that daily assessment of overall perceived change with a smartphone pain app was positively correlated with the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and capturing short-term daily assessment trends data using computer-based classification methods might be a future way to help to identify individuals who tend to catastrophize about their pain., (Copyright © 2018 the American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) is a commonly used self-report instrument to identify and monitor aberrant opioid-related behavior in chronic pain patients on opioid therapy. However, the length of the COMM may limit its clinical utility. Additionally, this paper-and-pencil screener requires hand scoring, which increases paperwork and staff burden. Therefore, the current study presents development of the "COMM-9," a brief electronically administered form of the COMM., Methods: Patients (N = 517) with chronic noncancer pain on opioid therapy completed the COMM. Patients were classified as either being positive or negative for aberrant drug-related behavior based on self-report data from a structured interview, physician-report data, and urine toxicology screen (the Aberrant Drug Behavior Index [ADBI]). COMM items with the strongest classification accuracy were identified using the LASSO method as the selection criterion in conjunction with the leave-one-out cross-validation method as the stop criterion. A sub-set of patients (n=55) completed a second administration of the COMM one week later to evaluate test-retest reliability., Results: Nine items were identified before the selection criterion stopped, and logistic regression was utilized to predict probabilities of positive ADBI from the 9 COMM items using all data and the cross-validation procedure. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed high levels of classification accuracy that were essentially equivalent to the full COMM. Cut-points were identified to classify patients as having no/low risk, moderate risk, and high risk for aberrant opioid-related behavior. Test-retest reliability of the COMM-9 was comparable to the full 17-item COMM., Conclusions: This study presents the successful development of a brief electronic screener to identify current aberrant opioid-related behavior in chronic pain patients on long-term opioid therapy.