Cited by 45Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitationPain Management and Placebo EffectPain Mechanisms and Treatments

Psychological factors predict local and referred experimental muscle pain: A cluster analysis in healthy adults

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Lee, J.E., Watson, D., Frey‐Law, L.A.·2013·European Journal of Pain

Abstract

Background: Recent studies suggest an underlying three‐ or four‐factor structure explains the conceptual overlap and distinctiveness of several negative emotionality and pain‐related constructs. However, the validity of these latent factors for predicting pain has not been examined. Methods: A cohort of 189 (99 female, 90 male) healthy volunteers completed eight self‐report negative emotionality and pain‐related measures (E ysenck P ersonality Q uestionnaire – R evised, P ositive and N egative A ffect S chedule, S tate‐T rait A nxiety I nventory, P ain C atastrophizing S cale, F ear of P ain Q uestionnaire; S omatosensory A mplification S cale, A nxiety S ensitivity I ndex and W hiteley I ndex). Using principal axis factoring, three primary latent factors were extracted: general distress, catastrophic thinking and pain‐related fear. Using these factors, individuals clustered into three subgroups of high, moderate and low negative emotionality responses. Experimental pain was induced via intramuscular acidic infusion into the anterior tibialis muscle, producing local (infusion site) and/or referred (anterior ankle) pain and hyperalgesia. Results: Pain outcomes differed between clusters (multivariate analysis of variance and multinomial regression), with individuals in the highest negative emotionality cluster reporting the greatest local pain (p = 0.05), mechanical hyperalgesia (pressure pain thresholds; p = 0.009) and greater odds (2.21 odds ratio) of experiencing referred pain when compared to the lowest negative emotionality cluster. Conclusion: Our results provide support for three latent psychological factors explaining the majority of the variance between several pain‐related psychological measures, and that individuals in the high negative emotionality subgroup are at increased risk for (1) acute local muscle pain; (2) local hyperalgesia; and (3) referred pain using a standardized nociceptive input.

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Authors
Lee, J. E., Watson, D., & Frey‐Law, L. A.
Affiliations
  • University of Iowa (US)
  • University of Notre Dame (US)
Corresponding author
Frey‐Law, L.A.
Venue
European Journal of Pain
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2012-11-19
Volume
17
Issue
6
Pages
903-915
ISSN
  • 1090-3801 (ISSN-L)
  • 1532-2149
OpenAlex
W2097700209
Cited by
45
References
68
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 2
FWCI
2.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • European Journal of Pain (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (K01AR056134)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K12HD0055931, K12HD055931)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Pain Management and Placebo Effect
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
Keywords
negative affectivity, experimental muscle pain, referred pain, hyperalgesia, pain catastrophizing, fear of pain, anxiety sensitivity, somatosensory amplification, psychological factors, clustering, pressure pain threshold, tibialis anterior, healthy adults
MeSH terms
Adult, Analysis of Variance, Fear, Female, Humans, Hyperalgesia, Male, Pain Measurement, Cluster Analysis, Pain Threshold, Referred Pain, Young Adult, Catastrophization, Myalgia

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