chronic/recurrent pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis N94.4 N94.5 N80 R10.2 N94.6
Conditions
Interventions
Group 1: Using the smartphone app movisensXS, an ecological momentary assessment will be conducted. Seven times per day* across seven consecutive days, participants will collect saliva samples for cor
Sponsors
Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
Female
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: chronic/recurrent pelvic pain, suspicion of endometriosis, Patients must be able to specify a range of maximally 7 days with regard to their next menstrual onset.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: - long-cycle treatment with oral contraceptives - current psychotic disorder - current psychopharmacological treatment - psychoactive medication, preceding alcohol abuse or substance abuse - current pregnancy or lactation - current hormonal fertility treatment - cancer of the breast, cervix or ovary - other types of cancer - acute infections - pain disorders: o migraine o rheumatic diseases o ulcerative colitis o fibromyalgia o Crohn´s disease o irritable bowel syndrome o others
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Aums: 1. To assess whether daily stress affects pain levels in chronic pelvic pain patients; a. It is hypothesized that daily stress is associated with increased subjective pain levels on a moment-to-moment level. b. It is hypothesized that subjective stress levels and cortisol levels are positively correlated. c. It is hypothesized that negative mood (as assessed by the MDBF) is related to increases in subjective stress ratings, cortisol levels, and pain ratings on a moment-to-moment level. 2. To assess how social relationships affect stress and pain; a. It is hypothesized that cortisol levels will be subject to psychobiological coregulation, meaning that cortisol levels of a patient and their partner are highly correlated. b. It is hypothesized that on a moment-to-moment level, the partner’s social support towards the patient’s symptoms are related to lower pain ratings; whereas on an aggregated level across one week, higher social support is expected to be related to higher pain ratings. c. It is hypothesized that feelings of closeness to other people (including the partner) does not reduce subjective stress ratings and cortisol levels on a moment-to-moment level, but across an entire day. d. It is hypothesized that touch does not reduce subjective stress ratings and cortisol levels on a moment-to-moment level, but across an entire day. e. It is hypothesized that social conflicts increase subjective stress ratings and cortisol levels on a moment-to-moment level. 3. To assess if these effects are associated to endogenous oxytocin or local oxytocin receptor (OTR) expression. a. Explorative: It is expected that endogenous oxytocin levels mediate the relation between social support and pain. b. Explorative: Local OTR expression from endometrium samples is hypothesized to be positively associated with pain. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Secondary Aims: Questionnaire and demographic data, such as age, will be analyzed as covariates. Importantly, we will recruit n=60 patients. If part or all of them has a partner, maximum number of participants is N = 120. | — |
Countries
Germany
Contacts
Public ContactKatharina van Stein
Institut für medizinische Psychologie, Uniklinikum Heidelberg
Outcome results
None listed