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Updated: May 7, 2026

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram
Published on: July 7, 2023
Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the painDETECT questionnaire: a multicenter observational study
Yoshitaka Matsubayashi1, Katsushi Takeshita, Masahiko Sumitani
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the painDETECT questionnaire (PDQ-J).
Materials And Methods:
The translation of the original PDQ into Japanese was achieved according to the published guidelines. Subsequently, a multicenter observational study was performed to evaluate the validity and reliability of PDQ-J, including 113 Japanese patients suffering from pain.
Results:
Factor analysis revealed that the main component of PDQ-J comprises two determinative factors, which account for 62% of the variance observed. Moreover, PDQ-J revealed statistically significant correlation with the intensity of pain (Numerical Rating Scale), Physical Component Score, and Mental Component Score of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The Cronbach alpha for the total score was 0.78 and for the main component was 0.80. In the analysis of test-retest method, the intraclass correlation coefficient between the two scores was 0.94.
Conclusions:
We demonstrated the validity and reliability of PDQ-J. We encourage researchers and clinicians to use this tool for the assessment of patients who suffer suspected neuropathic pain.

