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Development and initial validation of an expanded and revised version of the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire
Robert H Dworkin1, Dennis C Turk, Dennis A Revicki
1Department of Anesthesiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 604, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. robert_dworkin@urmc.rochester.edu
Abstract:
The objective of the present research was to develop a single measure of the major symptoms of both neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain that can be used in studies of epidemiology, natural history, pathophysiologic mechanisms, and treatment response. We expanded and revised the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) pain descriptors by adding symptoms relevant to neuropathic pain and by modifying the response format to a 0-10 numerical rating scale to provide increased responsiveness in longitudinal studies and clinical trials. The reliability, validity, and subscale structure of the revised SF-MPQ (SF-MPQ-2) were examined in responses from 882 individuals with diverse chronic pain syndromes and in 226 patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy who participated in a randomized clinical trial. The data suggest that the SF-MPQ-2 has excellent reliability and validity, and the results of both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for four readily interpretable subscales-continuous pain, intermittent pain, predominantly neuropathic pain, and affective descriptors. These results provide a basis for use of the SF-MPQ-2 in future clinical research, including clinical trials of treatments for neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain conditions.
Insights
A new pain scale, the SF-MPQ-2, effectively measures neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain symptoms. This revised tool offers reliable and valid assessment for diverse chronic pain conditions in research and clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Pain research
- Clinical assessment tools
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Current pain assessment tools may not adequately capture the complexity of both neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain.
- A unified, responsive measure is needed for epidemiological, pathophysiological, and treatment studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a single, revised measure for major symptoms of neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain.
- To enhance the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) for improved responsiveness in clinical trials.
Main Methods:
- Revision of the SF-MPQ pain descriptors and response format to a 0-10 numerical rating scale.
- Examination of reliability and validity in 882 individuals with chronic pain and 226 patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
- Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to determine subscale structure.
Main Results:
- The revised SF-MPQ-2 demonstrated excellent reliability and validity.
- Factor analyses supported four interpretable subscales: continuous pain, intermittent pain, predominantly neuropathic pain, and affective descriptors.
- The SF-MPQ-2 is suitable for diverse chronic pain populations.
Conclusions:
- The SF-MPQ-2 is a reliable and valid measure for assessing both neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain symptoms.
- This tool can be utilized in future clinical research, including trials for various pain conditions.
- The four-factor structure provides a comprehensive assessment of pain experiences.
