Relationship between MPQ and VAS in 962 patients. A rationale for their use

Area of Science:

• Pain research
• Clinical assessment
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Assessing patient-reported pain is crucial for effective management.
• The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) are commonly used pain assessment tools.
• Understanding their comparative utility across different pain types is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the information provided by VAS and MPQ in patients with diverse pain conditions.
• To investigate the relationship between VAS and MPQ scores within the same patient sample.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 962 patients with neuropathic pain, acute post-traumatic pain, chronic musculo-skeletal pain, headache, and cancer pain.
• Administration of the 10cm VAS and the Italian version of the MPQ.
• Statistical analysis including stepwise multiple regression to assess the association between VAS and MPQ scores.

Main Results:

• VAS scores varied significantly across pain types, being lower in acute post-traumatic and chronic musculo-skeletal pain compared to headache and neuropathic pain.
• MPQ total scores (Pain Rating Index) were highest in neuropathic and cancer pain.
• The association between VAS and MPQ scores differed significantly among pain groups, with MPQ explaining 6-32% of VAS variance.

Conclusions:

• Significant differences exist in pain perception and reporting across various pain conditions.
• VAS and MPQ capture partially overlapping aspects of pain experience.
• MPQ offers more detailed and clinically relevant information for headache and cancer pain assessment.