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Study of Pain Catastrophizing

Contribution of Pain Catastrophizing to Race Group Differences in Pain and Pain-Related Brain Responses in Older Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03836586
Acronym
SPAC
Enrollment
10
Registered
2019-02-11
Start date
2019-12-23
Completion date
2021-06-07
Last updated
2024-04-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Osteo Arthritis Knee

Keywords

catastrophizing, cognitive-behavior therapy

Brief summary

This study proposes to experimentally manipulate pain catastrophizing in order to investigate the neural mechanisms by which pain catastrophizing influences the experience of pain among non-Hispanic Blacks (NHBs) and non- Hispanic Whites (NHWs) with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Therefore, participants will be randomized to either a single session cognitive-behavioral intervention to reduce pain catastrophizing or a pain education control group.

Interventions

This intervention comprises three components: 1) general education about pain (e.g., pain pathways) and a rationale for the intervention (e.g., gate control theory); 2) impact of positive and negative pain-related thoughts on neural process of pain; and 3) a guided imaginal pain exposure exercise.

BEHAVIORALPain Education

General information about the neurobiology of pain and knee osteoarthritis will be given to participants assigned to this intervention.

Sponsors

National Institute on Aging (NIA)
CollaboratorNIH
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
CollaboratorNIH
University of Florida
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Intervention model description

Participants will be randomized to either a single session cognitive-behavioral intervention to reduce pain catastrophizing or a pain education control group

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
45 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* symptomatic knee OA

Exclusion criteria

* Younger than 45 years of age or older than 85 years of age * Prosthetic knee replacement or other clinically significant surgery to the arthritic knee * uncontrolled hypertension (\>150/95) * Heart disease including heart failure * Peripheral neuropathy in which pain testing was contraindicated * Systemic rheumatic disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, gout, and fibromyalgia * Neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, stroke with loss of sensory or motor function, or uncontrolled seizures * Significantly greater pain in body sites other than in the knee * Daily opioid use * Hospitalization within the preceding year for psychiatric illness * Currently pregnant or nursing/breastfeeding

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) at Day 2Day 213-item scale that assesses catastrophic thinking associated with pain. The study team will administer the PCS using traditional instructions (a measure of trait catastrophizing) and instructions to assess situation-specific catastrophizing (Thinking back to your experience during the laboratory pain testing). Thoughts and feelings concerning pain are ranked on a 0-4 scale, with 0 being the patient has this thought/feeling 'not at all' to 4, the patient has this thought feeling 'all the time.' The PCS total score is computed by summing responses to all 13 items. PCS total scores range from 0 - 52. Higher scores indicate the presence of catastrophizing and therefore worse outcome.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Pain Catastrophizing Reduction Group
This group will be assigned to a 30-minute, single-session cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to reduce pain catastrophizing. Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention: This intervention comprises three components: 1) general education about pain (e.g., pain pathways) and a rationale for the intervention (e.g., gate control theory); 2) impact of positive and negative pain-related thoughts on neural process of pain; and 3) a guided imaginal pain exposure exercise.
5
Pain Education Group
This group will receive general information about the neurobiology of pain and knee OA. Pain Education: General information about the neurobiology of pain and knee osteoarthritis will be given to participants assigned to this intervention.
5
Total10

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicPain Education GroupTotalPain Catastrophizing Reduction Group
Age, Continuous64.20 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.14
60.50 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.26
56.80 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.83
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
non-Hispanic Black
3 Participants5 Participants2 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
non-Hispanic White
2 Participants5 Participants3 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
3 Participants6 Participants3 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
2 Participants4 Participants2 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 50 / 5
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 50 / 5
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 50 / 5

Outcome results

Primary

Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) at Day 2

13-item scale that assesses catastrophic thinking associated with pain. The study team will administer the PCS using traditional instructions (a measure of trait catastrophizing) and instructions to assess situation-specific catastrophizing (Thinking back to your experience during the laboratory pain testing). Thoughts and feelings concerning pain are ranked on a 0-4 scale, with 0 being the patient has this thought/feeling 'not at all' to 4, the patient has this thought feeling 'all the time.' The PCS total score is computed by summing responses to all 13 items. PCS total scores range from 0 - 52. Higher scores indicate the presence of catastrophizing and therefore worse outcome.

Time frame: Day 2

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Pain Catastrophizing Reduction GroupPain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) at Day 220.40 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 25.38
Pain Education GroupPain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) at Day 215.25 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 16.03

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026