Central Nervous System Sensitization
Conditions
Keywords
balance, postural, postural equilibrium, chronic pain, Chronic nonspecific low back pain, Fibromyalgia, Cervicogenic headache, Chronic tension type headache, Irritable bowel syndrome, Whiplash associated disorder, Temporomandibular disorder
Brief summary
To investigate the use of balance as a screening tool for Central Sensitization, a condition of the nervous system that is associated with the development and maintenance of chronic pain. This is done by comparing the scores of a gold standard screening tool (the Central Sensitization Inventory) with balance data.
Detailed description
First, subjects will be asked to answer a brief medical questionnaire pertaining their general health status: since some of the subjects will be self-assessed to be healthy (no medical examination will be conducted to determine if this is indeed the case), the questionnaire will be used to determine if there are any possible known causes of poor balance performance. The questionnaire will not constitute an inclusion/exclusion criterion, it just has a classification purpose. Subjects will then be asked to fill in the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), scoring each of the 25 items on a scale from 0 (never) to 4 (always). Then, subjects will stand for 2 minutes on a compliant surface (a 4 tall foam cushion of known mechanical properties) to learn how to stand on it. Afterward, they will undergo posturography testing using the extended modified Clinical Testing of Sensory Integration in Balance (ext\_mCTSIB) protocol: the subjects will be required to stand on a hard or compliant surface in a comfortable posture, feet shoulder width, with eyes open or closed, arms to the side and free to move, gazing forward, and breathing normally, with head straight, turned right or left, flexed or extended.
Interventions
DIAGNOSTIC_TESTPosturography Evaluation
Posturography testing using the extended modified Clinical Testing of Sensory Integration in Balance (ext\_mCTSIB) protocol: the subjects will be required to stand on a hard or compliant surface in a comfortable posture, feet shoulder width, with eyes open or closed, arms to the side and free to move, gazing forward, and breathing normally, with head straight, turned right or left, flexed or extended
Standard chronic pain questionnaire: the subjects will be required to score each of the 25 items on a scale from 0 (never) to 4 (always)
Sponsors
Caps Research Network
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Adults, self assessed to be in good health, or medically diagnosed with any of the following pathologies: Chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNSLBP), Fibromyalgia (FM), Cervicogenic Headche (CH), Chronic Tension Type Headache (CTT), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD), Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD)
Exclusion criteria
* Pregnant women will be excluded, as will be minors
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stability Score | immediately after data collection | The Stability Score (calculated as percentage ratio of the actual sway and the theoretical limit of stability) will be used to investigate if there is any difference between healthy controls and subjects affected by chronic pain. Statistical tools such t-tests and correlation coefficients will be used for assess if there is a difference between the two groups |
| CSI | immediately after data collection | The sum of all the answers to the Central Sensitization Inventory will be used to investigate if there is any difference between healthy controls and subjects affected by chronic pain. Statistical tools such t-tests and correlation coefficients will be used for assess if there is a difference between the two groups |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CSI-SS | immediately after data collection | Correlation between the Stability Score and the CSI result for each individual to determine if balance is an indicator of Central Nervous System Sensitization |
Countries
Australia, United States
Outcome results
None listed