Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026
09:38
Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery
Published on: April 14, 2016
13.3K
Pain Interference Mediates the Relationship between Pain and Functioning in Pediatric Chronic Pain
Rikard K Wicksell1, Marie Kanstrup1, Mike K Kemani1
1Behavior Medicine Pain Treatment Service, Karolinska University HospitalStockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska InstitutetStockholm, Sweden.
Frontiers in Psychology
|January 14, 2017
Summary
Pediatric chronic pain significantly impacts functioning, with pain interference mediating the link between pain and depression. Interventions targeting improved functioning are crucial for children with chronic pain.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Pain Medicine
- Psychology
Background:
- Pediatric chronic pain is prevalent and linked to functional impairment.
- Understanding demographic, pain, and functioning interplays is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if pediatric chronic pain patients with high/low functioning differ demographically, in pain, and pain interference.
- To explore pain interference as a mediator between pain and functioning (depression, disability).
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of 163 children/adolescents with chronic pain.
- Investigated interrelationships between demographic variables, pain, pain interference, depression, and functional disability.
- Assessed indirect effects of pain interference on pain-depression relationship.
Main Results:
- The sample exhibited high depression, school absence, and pain interference.
- Pain interference was found to mediate the relationship between pain and depression.
- Differences in demographic variables, pain, and pain interference were observed between high and low functioning groups.
Conclusions:
- Routine assessment of functioning and pain interference is recommended for pediatric chronic pain.
- Interventions should target pain interference and functional improvement.
- Findings support the need for specialized interventions for debilitating chronic pain in children.
Related Concept Videos
01:44Nociception
33.6K
Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain.
33.6K
01:25Analgesia and Pain Management
2.5K
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
2.5K
01:20Pain
1.7K
Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
1.7K