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Evaluation of Central Sensitization, Fear-Avoidance, and Pain-Pressure Threshold With Chronic Pain After Hysterectomy (EPOCH)

K

KK Women's and Children's Hospital

Status

Enrolling

Conditions

Anxiety Depression
Hysterectomy
Chronic Pain
Central Sensitisation

Treatments

Diagnostic Test: Pain-Pressure Threshold
Diagnostic Test: Anxiety, anticipated pain, anticipated analgesia
Diagnostic Test: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
Diagnostic Test: Pain Catastrophizing Scale
Diagnostic Test: Beck's Depression Inventory
Diagnostic Test: Central Sensitization Inventory
Diagnostic Test: Mechanical Temporal Summation
Diagnostic Test: Fear-Avoidance Component Score
Diagnostic Test: EQ-5D
Diagnostic Test: State-trait anxiety inventory
Diagnostic Test: heart rate variability

Study type

Observational

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

Details and patient eligibility

About

Phase 1 (started in July 2019):

Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (FACS), pain-pressure threshold are factors associated with chronic post-hysterectomy pain (CPHP), but a complete understanding on the development of CPHP is lacking. The study aims to identify clinically-relevant factors for CPHP that can be reliably assessed preoperatively.

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Phase 2 (anticipated start May 2022):

In addition to above factors, the association between heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, anxiety level, anticipated pain, and anticipated analgesia requirement with significant postoperative pain and CPHP will be investigated.

Full description

Phase 1 (started in July 2019):

Chronic post-surgical pain is persistent pain after a surgical procedure that lasts for at least 3 months with other causes of pain excluded. It is a major socioeconomic and healthcare burden, and has impact on quality of life, physical function, emotional wellbeing and healthcare costs. In Singapore, hysterectomy for benign indications incurs 32% risk of developing chronic post-hysterectomy pain (CPHP). CPHP can occur around the surgical site, lower abdominal or pelvic region. Based on the pathophysiology underlying chronic pain, the investigators hypothesize that central sensitization, pain fear-avoidance and low pain-pressure threshold are plausible risk factors for CPHP. However, none of these three risk categories has been evaluated in patients with CPHP.

The investigators hypothesize that preoperatively abnormal central sensitization, pain fear-avoidance and decreased pain-pressure threshold are associated with increased risk of developing CPHP. The investigators will evaluate these risk factors preoperatively, and follow-up study participants at 4- and 6-months after hysterectomy, to assess the associations between these risk factors and CPHP.

The investigators will perform a prospective study of 236 patients undergoing abdominal/laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign indications, recruited at KK Hospital, Singapore. Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (FACS), pain-pressure threshold and other known factors associated with CPHP will be assessed and recorded. Participants will be followed up at 4- and 6-months postoperatively to assess CPHP. Logistical regression analysis will be used to evaluate the associations between these factors and CPHP.

Knowledge of risk factors for CPHP will guide future studies to identify high-risk patients for implementation of individualized targeted therapies to optimize surgical outcomes of this patient group, and to confirm the hypothetical pathophysiological processes of chronic post-surgical pain similarly applicable to CPHP.

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Phase 2 (anticipated start May 2022):

Recent evidence suggests that changes in heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, anxiety level, anticipated pain, and anticipated analgesia requirement may be associated with significant postoperative pain (numerical pain score >3 out of 10). The associations between HRV, anxiety level, anticipated pain, and anticipated analgesia requirement with significant pain or CPHP after hysterectomy have yet been investigated.

The investigators hypothesize that preoperative changes in HRV parameters, increased anxiety level, higher anticipated pain, and higher anticipated analgesia requirement are associated with increased risk of developing significant postoperative pain or CPHP. HRV, anxiety level, anticipated pain, and anticipated analgesia requirement will be assessed preoperatively, and follow-up study participants at 24 hours, 48 hours, 4- and 6-months after hysterectomy to assess their associations with significant postoperative pain and CPHP.

The investigators will perform a prospective study of 200 patients undergoing abdominal/laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign indications, recruited at KK Hospital, Singapore. HRV, anxiety level, anticipated pain, and anticipated analgesia requirement will be assessed and recorded. Participants will be followed up at 24 hours, 48 hours, 4- and 6-months postoperatively to assess significant pain and CPHP. Logistical regression analysis will be used to evaluate the associations between these factors and significant pain or CPHP.

Knowledge of risk factors for significant pain and CPHP will guide future studies to identify high-risk patients for implementation of individualized targeted therapies to optimize surgical outcomes of this patient group.

Enrollment

436 estimated patients

Sex

Female

Ages

21 to 80 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 21 to 80 years old
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Scale (ASA) I to III
  • Benign gynaecological indications for hysterectomy
  • Elective abdominal or laparoscopic hysterectomy

Exclusion criteria

  • Vaginal hysterectomy
  • Uterine prolapse, endometriosis, malignant disease, or pelvic pain as main indication for surgery
  • History of drug dependence or recreational drug use
  • History of chronic pain syndrome
  • Current chronic daily treatment with corticosteroids, excluding inhaled steroids
  • Allergy to study drugs
  • Major heart surgery
  • Heart transplant
  • Pacemaker inserted
  • Baseline non-sinus cardiac rhythm

Trial design

436 participants in 4 patient groups

Control group for CPHP
Description:
Preoperative assessment with questionnaires, Mechanical Temporal Summation, Pain-Pressure Threshold, and heart rate variability. All patients will undergo elective abdominal or laparoscopic hysterectomy. Patients will be assigned to this group if no significant pain is noted during the follow up evaluations at 4 and 6 months.
Treatment:
Diagnostic Test: State-trait anxiety inventory
Diagnostic Test: heart rate variability
Diagnostic Test: EQ-5D
Diagnostic Test: Fear-Avoidance Component Score
Diagnostic Test: Mechanical Temporal Summation
Diagnostic Test: Central Sensitization Inventory
Diagnostic Test: Beck's Depression Inventory
Diagnostic Test: Pain Catastrophizing Scale
Diagnostic Test: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
Diagnostic Test: Anxiety, anticipated pain, anticipated analgesia
Diagnostic Test: Pain-Pressure Threshold
Chronic Post-Hysterectomy Pain (CPHP)
Description:
Preoperative assessment with questionnaires, Mechanical Temporal Summation, Pain-Pressure Threshold, and heart rate variability. All patients will undergo elective abdominal or laparoscopic hysterectomy. Patients will be assigned to this group if significant pain is noted during the follow up evaluations at 4 and 6 months.
Treatment:
Diagnostic Test: State-trait anxiety inventory
Diagnostic Test: heart rate variability
Diagnostic Test: EQ-5D
Diagnostic Test: Fear-Avoidance Component Score
Diagnostic Test: Mechanical Temporal Summation
Diagnostic Test: Central Sensitization Inventory
Diagnostic Test: Beck's Depression Inventory
Diagnostic Test: Pain Catastrophizing Scale
Diagnostic Test: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
Diagnostic Test: Anxiety, anticipated pain, anticipated analgesia
Diagnostic Test: Pain-Pressure Threshold
Control group for significant postoperative pain
Description:
Preoperative assessment with questionnaires, Mechanical Temporal Summation, Pain-Pressure Threshold, and heart rate variability. All patients will undergo elective abdominal or laparoscopic hysterectomy. Patients will be assigned to this group if no significant pain is noted during the follow up evaluations at 24 and 48 hours.
Treatment:
Diagnostic Test: State-trait anxiety inventory
Diagnostic Test: heart rate variability
Diagnostic Test: EQ-5D
Diagnostic Test: Fear-Avoidance Component Score
Diagnostic Test: Mechanical Temporal Summation
Diagnostic Test: Central Sensitization Inventory
Diagnostic Test: Beck's Depression Inventory
Diagnostic Test: Pain Catastrophizing Scale
Diagnostic Test: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
Diagnostic Test: Anxiety, anticipated pain, anticipated analgesia
Diagnostic Test: Pain-Pressure Threshold
Significant postoperative pain
Description:
Preoperative assessment with questionnaires, Mechanical Temporal Summation, Pain-Pressure Threshold, and heart rate variability. All patients will undergo elective abdominal or laparoscopic hysterectomy. Patients will be assigned to this group if significant pain is noted during the follow up evaluations at 24 and 48 hours.
Treatment:
Diagnostic Test: State-trait anxiety inventory
Diagnostic Test: heart rate variability
Diagnostic Test: EQ-5D
Diagnostic Test: Fear-Avoidance Component Score
Diagnostic Test: Mechanical Temporal Summation
Diagnostic Test: Central Sensitization Inventory
Diagnostic Test: Beck's Depression Inventory
Diagnostic Test: Pain Catastrophizing Scale
Diagnostic Test: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
Diagnostic Test: Anxiety, anticipated pain, anticipated analgesia
Diagnostic Test: Pain-Pressure Threshold

Trial documents
1

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Central trial contact

Hon Sen Tan, MD; Ban Leong Sng, MBBS

Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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