Assessing Central Nervous System Contributions to Accelerate Musculoskeletal Pain Diagnosis and Treatment

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating the role of the central nervous system (CNS) in chronic musculoskeletal pain, which lasts longer than 12 weeks despite treatment. This study focuses on conditions like osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, and inflammatory arthritis, where altered CNS pathways contribute to pain beyond muscle or joint damage. The goal is to improve diagnosis and treatment by using tools that assess CNS activity related to pain. The study evaluates the use of the Central Aspects of Pain (CAP) questionnaire combined with simpler pain sensitivity assessments to identify CNS involvement in chronic pain. Participants self-report their pain and diagnoses, and these tools are tested for their ability to predict pain levels at six and twelve weeks. The study also compares these simpler measures with laboratory pain sensitivity tests to better understand CNS contributions. Participants will complete the CAP questionnaire and various pain sensitivity assessments at the start, six weeks, and twelve weeks. Additional evaluations include sleep quality, anxiety and depression, neuropathic pain symptoms, fatigue, cognitive failures, and overall health surveys. Researchers will analyze these results to understand how CNS activity affects pain and patient outcomes. The study is observational, and participants are involved over a 12-week period with assessments at specified intervals.

Assessing Central Aspects of Pain