Exploring the interplay between catastrophizing and endometriosis pain through 2-wave and intensive longitudinal data

De França Moreira, Marcelo, Marcelo França Moreira, Marco Aurelio Pinho Oliveira, Marco Aurélio Pinho Oliveira
Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2024 · vol. 26(4) , pp. 207–215 · doi:10.1093/pm/pnae132 · PMID:39731739 · W4405862607
Observational OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 2 in-corpus citations
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High pain catastrophizing significantly worsens endometriosis pain trajectories over four weeks, with bidirectional influences mediated distinctly by sensory and affective pain dimensions.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis, characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus, results in chronic pelvic pain. However, lesion characteristics alone cannot fully explain the complexity of endometriosis-related pain. Pain catastrophizing, a cognitive process that influences pain perception, has traditionally been studied through cross-sectional or 2-wave designs, which struggle to capture its dynamic interplay with endometriosis pain. To address these gaps, our study explores the bidirectional relationship between pain catastrophizing and pain outcomes-including intensity, frequency, and flares-over a detailed 4-week period and an aggregated 30-day time frame and across sensory and affective dimensions. METHODS: A latent growth curve model assessed the relationship between pain catastrophizing, initial pain levels, and endometriosis pain trajectories over 4 weeks. Additionally, 4 mediator models explored how baseline pain catastrophizing affects various pain aspects, including sensory and affective dimensions, and its subsequent influence on pain catastrophizing. RESULTS: Results indicate that high levels of pain catastrophizing significantly escalate endometriosis pain over 4 weeks, affecting average pain intensity, episode frequency, and flares over 30 days. Pain catastrophizing also adversely impacts sensory and affective dimensions. These elements partially mediate baseline pain catastrophizing's effect on week 5 levels, revealing a bidirectional relationship. Notably, whereas the affective dimension amplifies subsequent pain catastrophizing, the sensory dimension exerts a contrasting negative association. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the bidirectional influence between pain catastrophizing and several aspects of endometriosis-related pain. Sensory and affective dimensions play distinct roles, with implications for personalized interventions. Limitations and clinical relevance are discussed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials ID: U1111-1233-4802.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_pain

MeSH descriptors

Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization Catastrophization

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

References (46)

Cited by (2)

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK