MINI REVIEW article

Front. Pain Res., 14 October 2022

Sec. Pediatric Pain

Volume 3 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpain.2022.1022699

The missing mechanistic link: Improving behavioral treatment efficacy for pediatric chronic pain

  • 1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Biobehavioral Pain Innovations Lab, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States

  • 2. Pain and Affective Neuroscience Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States

  • 3. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States

  • 4. Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

Article metrics

View details

2

Citations

2,4k

Views

1,1k

Downloads

Abstract

Pediatric chronic pain is a significant global issue, with biopsychosocial factors contributing to the complexity of the condition. Studies have explored behavioral treatments for pediatric chronic pain, but these treatments have mixed efficacy for improving functional and psychological outcomes. Furthermore, the literature lacks an understanding of the biobehavioral mechanisms contributing to pediatric chronic pain treatment response. In this mini review, we focus on how neuroimaging has been used to identify biobehavioral mechanisms of different conditions and how this modality can be used in mechanistic clinical trials to identify markers of treatment response for pediatric chronic pain. We propose that mechanistic clinical trials, utilizing neuroimaging, are warranted to investigate how to optimize the efficacy of behavioral treatments for pediatric chronic pain patients across pain types and ages.

Introduction

Pediatric chronic pain is a widespread, global burden, with epidemiological data estimating that up to 83% of children experience chronic pain, depending on the pain type (1). Pediatric chronic pain is particularly complex to manage and treat due to developmental changes in the nervous system (2). Specifically, changes in the function and density of nociceptive receptors and myelination, along with alterations in endogenous inhibitory control, contribute to changing pain response and modulation (2). The consequences of pediatric chronic pain are significant, as children with chronic pain report experiencing a worse quality of life and more missed school days (3) Chronic pain conditions also impose significant stress on parents and overall family functioning (46).

The transition from acute to chronic pain is thought to be due to sensitization of the central nervous system (CNS) leading to pain amplification (7). Ascending and descending pain modulatory systems constitute distributed brain regions including the somatosensory cortices, prefrontal and anterior cortices, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, thalamus, and brainstem (812). Neuroimaging studies have consistently reported the structural and functional associations of these brain regions with pain perception (1315).

In addition to neurological factors, the pain experience is modified by psychological and social factors (e.g., pain catastrophizing, parent protective responses), which contribute to pain-related disability and pain treatment outcomes (1621). However, there is a general lack of understanding of how these factors interact with other biobehavioral mechanisms (e.g., brain metrics, inflammatory biomarkers) to impact pain treatment outcomes. A recent commission on pediatric pain by the Lancet Child / Adolescent Health Commission (2) proposed four goals to improve the lives of children and adolescents with pain as well as their families including: (i) to “make pain matter”; (ii) “make pain understood”; (iii) “make pain visible”; and (iv) “make pain better”. To achieve these goals, there is a need to better elucidate the mechanisms contributing to behavioral treatment response.

Currently, the literature has indicated mixed efficacy for behavioral treatments for pediatric pain (studies include children aged 7 to 18 years old) (2227). There is a clear need to move beyond randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of behavioral pain treatments that solely rely on patient self-reported outcomes. Instead, conducting mechanistic clinical trials using mixed methods (e.g., neuroimaging, self-report, biomarkers) will allow for a more comprehensive assessment of treatment responders. We posit that personalized pediatric pain treatment has remained elusive in large part due to a dearth of research in this area, specifically mechanistic clinical trials. Of note, there are only 23 published studies on PubMed that describe their study design as a “mechanistic clinical trial”, with only three focused specifically on adult pain conditions and none focused on pediatric pain (2830).

In this mini review, we focus specifically on how neuroimaging has been used to identify the biobehavioral mechanisms contributing to chronic pain and how this modality could be instructive in mechanistic clinical trials as a marker of treatment response.

Treating pediatric chronic pain

Psychological interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), have demonstrated efficacy for treating pediatric and adult chronic pain (17, 2127, 3145). Many studies found significant reductions in pain intensity, functional disability, anxiety, and depression post-treatment (see the recent Cochrane review (26) and others (22, 25, 27, 32, 36, 40, 42)).

Psychological therapies for pediatric populations have mixed efficacy for pain-related outcomes. Such behavioral treatments have moderate effects on reducing pain intensity post-treatment with Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) effect sizes ranging from −0.43 to −0.57 (22, 25) and a Needed to Treat ratio of 2.32 – meaning that two people needed to be treated for one to benefit from the therapy compared to controls (27). Therapies have been found to have a small to moderate beneficial effect on disability post-treatment (SMD −0.45 to −0.34) (22, 25) and a limited to no effect on depression (SMD −0.05 to −0.07) and anxiety (SMD −0.16 to −0.15) outcomes (22, 25). However, these improvements (except for disability, SMD −0.27) were not maintained in long-term follow-up (22, 25). It remains unclear why psychological therapies may have short-term effects but may not be maintained in the long-term. Mechanistic clinical trials could help to address this gap.

Defined by the NIH, “a mechanistic clinical trial is designed to understand a biological or behavioral process, the pathophysiology of a disease, or the mechanism of action of an intervention” (46). We posit that utilizing neuroimaging in mechanistic clinical trials to examine the interaction of brain and behavior is critical. This approach will enable us to better understand the processes and pathophysiology of pediatric chronic pain, as well as the mechanisms of action of behavioral pain treatment.

The potential for neuroimaging: investigating pediatric chronic pain mechanisms and treatment

Over the past few decades, several studies (4759) have examined the relationship between chronic pain and neurocognition via performance-based neuropsychological assessment. Results have been mixed. Most of the studies show that patients with chronic pain or neuropathy-related conditions such as fibromyalgia, back pain, and diabetes have neurocognitive impairments including relatively poor processing, psychomotor speed, attention and executive function, memory, and learning (4754). Still, other studies have failed to find an association between chronic pain and certain neurocognitive processes (5559).

Furthermore, many observational studies have investigated the role of the CNS in influencing behavior and brain functions and demonstrated the significant impact of its ascending and descending inhibitory systems on pain modulation and perception (6063). In addition, advances in modern neuroimaging techniques enable objective assessment of brain structural and functional properties, allowing for the identification of brain-based markers of chronic pain (6483). These markers could be important therapeutic targets.

Chronic pain is a complex phenomenon, and its underlying neural mechanisms are not fully understood. Current pain assessment methods primarily rely on observations of individuals' symptoms and context of their pain (8486). As such, it has been a significant clinical challenge to accurately assess pain from the subjective evaluations of young patients (87) or patients who are cognitively impaired or developmentally delayed (88). The development of advanced neuroimaging techniques (e.g., MRI, fNIRS) has the potential to supplement subjective clinical pain evaluation to improve accurate diagnoses and treatment plans for patients with chronic pain. Additionally, unlike measures such as self-report, neuroimaging could elucidate specific neurological mechanisms underlying different pain conditions and pain treatment response. For example, Dr. Maria Fitzgerald and her team have demonstrated the utility of a range of neuroimaging techniques to investigate neonatal pain processing. Specifically, her team have used MRI, EEG, and fNIRS to find that when exposed to innocuous and noxious stimuli, newborns demonstrate distinct patterns of functional brain activations (8993). These results have elucidated meaningful insights about appropriate clinical measurement and treatment of infant pain.

In addition, the complex and diverse presentation of pain conditions leads to difficulty for directing patients to specific treatments for their pain condition. As a result, there are a number of emerging neuroimaging studies aimed at better delineating pain classifications and underlying biological mechanisms to develop more personalized treatment (83, 9496). This approach has been used for years in other fields – many psychiatry neuroimaging studies are underway or have been conducted to identify brain-based markers and predictors of treatment response for anxiety and depression. These researchers highlight the goal of using these neurological markers and predictors to develop more personalized pharmacological therapies and to select suitable candidates for different treatment approaches (97103). A similar approach using neuroimaging to identify treatment response markers is needed to improve efficacy of pain treatments for pediatric pain patients.

Using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for adult chronic pain

The majority of the research using neuroimaging for chronic pain has focused on adults (refer to Supplementary Table 1). Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have been used to investigate brain structure and tissue architecture differences associated with chronic pain. Specifically, one voxel-based morphometry study showed gray matter (GM) volume and density reductions in multiple cortical areas, including the cingulate cortex and insular cortex, as well as subcortical regions, such as the thalamus, in adult patients with chronic pain relative to healthy controls (69). The role of white matter fiber tracts has also been investigated in relation to pain, with numerous DTI studies demonstrating microstructure abnormalities measured by fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity in patients with chronic pain (104110).

Extensive task-based and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have investigated a range of chronic pain conditions including neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, headache, migraine, and chronic osteoarthritis (7081) (refer to Supplementary Table 1). After different non-pharmacological pain treatments, including acupuncture, psychological therapies, and cranial electrical stimulation, many studies show changes in brain markers. Specifically, activation and functional connectivity changes have been found in the somatosensory and motor cortices (7173), anterior cingulate cortex (74, 75), insula (7678), posterior cingulate cortex (79), prefrontal cortex (80), orbitofrontal cortex (81), and thalamus (83).

Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) for adult chronic pain

More recently, pain studies have used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) (111118), a non-invasive optical technology that quantifies cortical concentration changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin from the absorption of near-infrared light through cortical tissues (90). Unlike fMRI, fNIRS allows the investigation of brain hemodynamics in a clinical setting, making it suitable for broader use, such as during surgery (119123).

For example, Gentile and colleagues utilize fNIRS to investigate brain responses in adults with fibromyalgia across several studies (114, 115, 124). They have consistently found that fibromyalgia patients have significantly lower task-evoked brain activation and electrical activity in the motor cortex compared to healthy controls (114, 115, 124). These consistent findings not only reveal potential motor and pain-related circuit dysfunction in fibromyalgia but also validate the reproducibility of fNIRS investigations in pain.

Using multimodal MRI and fNIRS in pediatric chronic pain

Structural and functional MRI: pain processing

Structural and functional brain properties involved in pain-evoked behavioral responses have been extensively examined in adults, however, only a limited number of neuroimaging studies have been conducted in pediatric patients (117, 118, 121, 125140) (refer to Supplementary Table 1). A few studies have used fMRI to show that adults and newborn infants have similar neural activity during pain processing. Goksan et al. (2015) found that activated brain regions during noxious stimulation were very similar for both infants and adults – with activations in the cerebellum, insula, putamen, and anterior cingulate cortex, to name a few (131). In addition to this overlapping activity, there were also distinct differences such as hypoactivation of the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex in infants relative to adults (131). Furthermore, Goksan and colleagues went on to investigate the role of the descending pain modulation system (DPMS) (130). Infants with greater functional connectivity in the DPMS prior to stimulation had lower noxious-evoked brain activity (130). These results were not replicated for the Control Network nor the Default Mode Network – highlighting a specific mechanism of the DPMS during pain experiences (130).

Many studies have investigated GM volume and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) in children (ages 10 to 18) with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) (125127, 132, 134, 140) (refer to Supplementary Table 1). Results show that relative to healthy controls, pediatric patients with CRPS have altered structural and functional properties in various networks related to cognitive and affective functioning (125127). In addition, CRPS patients showed reduced GM volume and increased resting-state FC in the subcortical basal ganglia of the sensorimotor network (125, 126). Decreased resting-state FC of the habenula, a brain structure linked to pain processing, has been found in children and adolescents (aged 10–17) (134). One study found decreased task-evoked brain activity in many regions such as the precentral gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and postcentral gyrus for CRPS patients (aged 8–20) when completing a fearful face paradigm (132). Widespread cortical changes were also observed for CRPS patients (aged 9–18) directly after noxious stimulation, with increased activation in areas involved in sensation and emotional processing, as well as decreased activation in frontal and parietal lobes, and in limbic system structures (140). In recovery from evoked pain, CRPS patients had persistent decreased activation in frontal, parietal, temporal cortices and the hippocampus (140).

Such brain abnormalities have also been found in children with migraine (aged 9 to 17), with demonstrated GM volumetric abnormalities in the frontal and temporal lobe, fusiform gyrus and putamen compared to healthy volunteers (128). A study recently investigated structural and functional properties in adolescents (aged 10 to 24) with peripheral nerve injury of the ankle (133). In the ankle injury cohort, there was reduced GM in the bilateral somatosensory cortices compared to healthy controls and decreased resting-state FC in the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and the periaqueductal gray – regions associated with affect and pain modulation (133). In addition, the ankle injury cohort showed changes in white matter integrity, with the superior parietal lobule, inferior parietal lobule, and anterior thalamic radiation showing significant changes in mean diffusivity compared to healthy controls. These tracts are associated with pain processing and sensory integration (133). For peripheral neuropathic pain, one study found that children and adolescents aged 11 to 18 had stronger resting-state FC between the right amygdala and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and enhanced resting-state FC between the right amygdala and left angular gyrus compared to controls. These trends were correlated with lower pain intensity, reflecting pain inhibition-related resting-state FC differences (136).

Treatment effects on brain imaging measures

Several studies have investigated the effect of treatment on brain functional connectivity and gray matter structures for pediatric pain patients (125, 127). Simons et al. (2014) found that pediatric CRPS patients (aged 10 to 17) who underwent an intensive psychophysical treatment program had significant decreases in connectivity between the left amygdala and motor cortex, parietal lobe, bilateral cingulate and one lobule of the cerebellum (127). In turn, these connectivity changes were correlated with decreases in pain-related fear after treatment, suggesting the potential for amygdala connectivity as an indicator of psychological treatment response. Another study also showed treatment-induced connectivity changes for pediatric CRPS patients (125). Pre-treatment, CRPS patients had negative connectivity between the dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortex and periaqueductal gray, whilst post-treatment, a positive connectivity was observed (125). The authors propose this change may indicate that successful treatment response is related to increased synchronicity between the structures (125). Further, the patients had greater cortical thickness in the dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortex and greater subcortical GM volumes in several subcortical structures after treatment (125).

fNIRS: pain processing and treatment

A small, but growing number of studies have used fNIRS imaging to investigate pain processing and pain treatment response for children and infants, with a focus on acute and procedural distress. Pettersson et al. (2019) measured pain perception in healthy newborn infants (mean age of 39.9 weeks) during a hip examination, a routine medical examination that is thought to cause discomfort for infants (135). Compared to heart auscultation examinations, which are non-painful, the hip examination evoked greater oxygenated hemoglobin on bilateral somatosensory cortices. This oxygenation was concurrent with greater Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised scores, which assesses procedural pain in infants (135). Recently, Yuan et al. (2022) assessed nociceptive prefrontal functional activation undergoing circumcision in neonates (aged 1–2 days) (139). They found that prefrontal activation significantly increased during noxious events (e.g., local injection) and decreased with non-noxious events (e.g., before incision) (139). Karunakaran et al. (2022) investigated the effects of continuous remifentanil on cortical hemodynamics in pediatric patients (mean age of 15.8 years) in response to catheter ablation (121). They reported that the placebo-controlled group showed greater oxygenated brain activations in inferior and superior medial frontopolar cortices compared to the remifentanil group (121).

Furthermore, the effects of pain-alleviating strategies for newborn infant procedural pain has been investigated using fNIRS in a few studies (118, 137, 138, 141). Ren et al. (2022) found that a white noise intervention did not significantly change cerebral oxygen saturation of newborn infants (aged 37–42 weeks) during a blood sampling procedure (137). Two studies investigated the analgesic effects of glucose or sweet solution administration to newborn infants during painful procedures (118, 138). Bembich et al. (2015) found that glucose did not evoke significant cerebral oxygenation changes compared to a breast-feeding group during a heel prick procedure (aged 38–41 weeks) (118). Intriguingly, Beken et al. (2014) found that glucose significantly increased cerebral blood volume after a blood sampling procedure for newborn infants (median age of 38 weeks) (138). Bembich et al. (2015) also found that breast-feeding evoked less intense pain behaviors and caused greater generalized cortical activation in newborn infants (118). Lastly, one study found that skin-to-skin contact reduces the oxygenated hemoglobin activation of infants (aged 30 weeks) during a blood sampling procedure compared to no skin-to-skin contact (141). It is possible that these pediatric acute pain fNIRS studies could inform further research for utilizing fNIRS for pediatric chronic pain treatment.

Improved understanding of the specific neural mechanisms underlying pediatric chronic pain and treatment response will allow for more targeted psychological and pharmacological pain treatments. For example, specific behavioral interventions may improve functional connectivity in key brain regions implicated in chronic pain symptomatology, such as between the amygdala and prefrontal structures (142). This insight could direct patients with specific neural markers related to amygdala connectivity to this intervention. In this way, neural treatment response predictors and markers have the potential to be transformative for pediatric chronic pain treatment.

Where to next?

Unanswered, yet important questions remain, including: Do psychological interventions have similar neurological effects on adults and children with chronic pain? Which pain condition and at which age is a certain behavioral intervention the most efficacious? We suggest the next step for answering these questions is to deeply phenotype the psychological treatment effects through neuroimaging. By starting with neuroimaging, we can elucidate the neurological markers that may predict treatment response. These neurological markers, in conjunction with patient self-report, can be used to formulate pain treatment approaches. Considering the multiple, diverse mechanisms of pain, mechanistic clinical trials using multiple methods including neuroimaging is warranted for comprehensive understanding of treatment response (143).

Mechanistic clinical trials

Given the complex pathophysiological mechanisms of pain, different approaches have been used to examine pain's biological and behavioral etiology. Mechanism-based approaches, which target patients' specific pain-related characteristics, could allow for the development of a more personalized treatment approach (143). Pain researchers and drug regulators highlight that conventional clinical trials are insufficient for effective clinical analgesic development, as these trials do not account for heterogeneous pain mechanisms (143). Furthermore, the evidence base for pediatric chronic pain mechanisms needs to be expanded to support the conceptualization of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic pain treatment trials. Findings from adult chronic pain studies cannot be relied on as the mechanisms of pediatric pain may be significantly different with the interplay of a developing nervous system (144). The Lancet Child / Adolescent Health Commission's 2020 report on pediatric pain highlights the need for alternate approaches beyond the RCT to address gaps in evidence-based treatment and to guide clinical practice (2). Notably, there is a dearth of mechanistic clinical trials for behavioral pain treatment and none for pediatrics. By studying the mechanisms behind treatments, the mechanistic clinical trial approach could also help identify risk factors of chronic pain to aid clinical efforts to prevent the onset of chronic pain (2).

Early mechanistic clinical trials have discussed shortcomings of this approach, including the failure to identify apparent differences in treatment response, the lengthy process, and general participant discomfort for pain assessment. However, recent mechanism-based studies have simplified methods and used more patient-friendly paradigms for assessing pain mechanisms (145). For example, Wang et al. implemented two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that investigated the mechanisms of serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressant medication for adults with persistent depressive disorder using MRI (145). Using this mechanism-based approach, they found that antidepressants decreased functional connectivity compared with placebo within a thalamo-cortico-periaqueductal network, which has previously been associated with the experience of pain (145). This reduced functional connectivity was also correlated to improvements in depressive symptoms and pain symptom severity in the medication group. Wang and colleagues have revealed the utility of using a mechanism-based approach. By using MRI, Wang's group were able to investigate neurological mechanisms underlying symptom severity changes during antidepressant treatment. This approach can help develop more specific targets for antidepressant therapeutics and bolster our understanding of depression in general.

Mechanistic clinical trials are gaining momentum (29, 30, 97, 98, 146157). One feasibility study has been successfully conducted, which assessed the feasibility of examining the beneficial metabolic effects of bariatric surgery in adults using a mechanistic clinical trial design (151). Five ongoing mechanistic clinical trials with published protocols aim to improve treatment outcomes in adult patients. These include optimizing pain interventions for patients with fibromyalgia (30), identifying biomarkers for pharmacoresistant depression treatment response (97), diet as a treatment for acute coronary syndrome (148), mental stress on coronary heart disease (147), and ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction (146). We suggest a similar model should be used for pediatric chronic pain to better understand the neural mechanisms underlying pain processing, higher intervention accuracy, and neurological and biomarker advancement.

The saturation of RCTs and significant gaps in knowledge in the adult and pediatric chronic pain literature warrants a new research approach. Mechanistic clinical trials that incorporate neuroimaging offer an avenue to investigate brain-behavior interactions underlying pediatric pain treatment. Understanding the underlying processes will allow for developing personalized treatments with more optimal outcomes.

Discussion

Despite the significant prevalence and impact of pediatric chronic pain, there remains a lack of understanding of etiology and effective treatment. The psychological components of pain and pain-related functional outcomes are well-documented and have precipitated a rise in studies investigating psychological treatment interventions for pediatric chronic pain. Thus far, results are promising, with treatments correlated to decreased pain interference and intensity, improved affective measures, reduction in disability, and improved quality of life. However, these effects are far from consistent, and it remains unknown why some patients experience improvements while others do not.

Neuroimaging, particularly fNIRS imaging, is a promising technique to elucidate the underlying neurological mechanisms of pediatric chronic pain. Although fNIRS has its inherent limitations including relatively lower spatial resolution and lack of sufficient penetration depth of near infrared light for capturing subcortical brain activities (158), the technology offers unique and significant benefits. Advantages include the portability of the device and low sensitivity to head motion for monitoring pain evaluation in clinical settings (159162). In addition, development of innovative techniques, such as machine learning, which detects patterns, rules, and causal dependencies in large chronic pain study data sets, have enabled objective data evaluations of chronic pain by incorporating temporal and spatial features of fNIRS imaging data (163, 164). Integration of machine learning in pain research makes it possible to investigate neural predictors of treatment responses, and even provide recommendations for appropriate, effective treatments for chronic pain.

Future research should utilize neuroimaging techniques and integrative analysis to investigate the neurological mechanisms behind pediatric chronic pain and treatment response. In addition, large, multicenter mechanistic clinical trials investigating the neurological and psychosocial mechanisms of change for psychological treatment interventions is warranted. Only once the heterogeneous mechanisms of pediatric chronic pain and treatment response are understood can we begin to develop precision medicine to optimize care for all pediatric chronic pain patients.

Statements

Author contributions

CBS conceptualized the topic for this manuscript. MLJ and ZW conducted the literature review. CEL and CBS contributed to manuscript preparation. All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, drafting, revising, or critically reviewing the article. All authors gave final approval of the version to be published, have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. MLJ and ZW equally contributed to this manuscript's first authorship. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Funding

CBS is funded by an R35 MIRA Award (R35GM142676–01) and Loan Repayment Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpain.2022.1022699/full#supplementary-material.

References

  • 1.

    KingSChambersCTHuguetAMacNevinRCMcGrathPJParkerLet alThe epidemiology of chronic pain in children and adolescents revisited: a systematic review. Pain. (2011) 152(12):272938. 10.1016/j.pain.2011.07.016

  • 2.

    EcclestonCFisherEHowardRFSlaterRForgeronPPalermoTMet alDelivering transformative action in paediatric pain: a lancet child / adolescent health commission. Vol. 5, The lancet child and adolescent health. Elsevier B.V.; 2021. p. 4787.

  • 3.

    HuguetAMiróJ. The severity of chronic pediatric pain: an epidemiological study. Journal of Pain. (2008) 9(3):22636. 10.1016/j.jpain.2007.10.015

  • 4.

    SiebergCBWilliamsSSimonsLE. Do parent protective responses mediate the relation between parent distress and child functional disability among children with chronic pain?J Pediatr Psychol. (2011) 36(9):104351. 10.1093/jpepsy/jsr043

  • 5.

    SiebergCBManganellaJ. Family beliefs and interventions in pediatric pain management. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. (2015) 24(3):63145. 10.1016/j.chc.2015.02.006

  • 6.

    LewandowskiASPalermoTMStinsonJHandleySChambersCT. Systematic review of family functioning in families of children and adolescents with chronic pain. Journal of Pain. (2010) 11:102738. 10.1016/j.jpain.2010.04.005

  • 7.

    VardehDMannionRJWoolfCJ. Toward a mechanism-based approach to pain diagnosis. Journal of Pain. Churchill Livingstone Inc. (2016) 17:T5069. 10.1016/j.jpain.2016.03.001

  • 8.

    ApkarianAVBushnellMCTreedeRDZubietaJK. Human brain mechanisms of pain perception and regulation in health and disease. Eur J Pain. (2005) 9(4):463. 10.1016/j.ejpain.2004.11.001

  • 9.

    BushnellMCČekoMLowLA. Cognitive and emotional control of pain and its disruption in chronic pain. Nat Rev Neurosci. (2013) 14(7):50211. 10.1038/nrn3516

  • 10.

    LeknesSTraceyI. A common neurobiology for pain and pleasure. Nat Rev Neurosci. (2008) 9(4):31420. [cited 2022 Sep 19]. 10.1038/nrn2333

  • 11.

    LiangMMourauxAHuLIannettiGD. Primary sensory cortices contain distinguishable spatial patterns of activity for each sense. Nat Commun. (2013) 4:1979. 10.1038/ncomms2979. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23752667/

  • 12.

    ChenQLHeinricherMM. Descending control mechanisms and chronic pain. Curr Rheumatol Rep. (2019) 21(5):13. 10.1007/s11926-019-0813-1.Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30830471/

  • 13.

    KangDHSonJHKimYC. Neuroimaging studies of chronic pain. Korean J Pain. (2010) 23(3):15965. 10.3344/kjp.2010.23.3.159

  • 14.

    ZhangZGewandterJSGehaP. Brain imaging biomarkers for chronic pain. Front Neurol. (2022) 12:734821. 10.3389/fneur.2021.734821.Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35046881/

  • 15.

    KregelJMeeusMMalflietADolphensMDanneelsLNijsJet alStructural and functional brain abnormalities in chronic low back pain: a systematic review. Semin Arthritis Rheum. (2015) 45(2):22937. 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2015.05.002

  • 16.

    LandryBWFischerPRDriscollSWKochKMHarbeck-WeberCMackKJet alManaging chronic pain in children and adolescents: a clinical review. PM R. (2015) 7(11 Suppl):S295315. 10.1016/j.pmrj.2015.09.006

  • 17.

    McCrackenLMEcclestonC. A prospective study of acceptance of pain and patient functioning with chronic pain. Pain. (2005) 118(1–2):1649. 10.1016/j.pain.2005.08.015

  • 18.

    RabbittsJAFisherERosenbloomBNPalermoTM. Prevalence and predictors of chronic postsurgical pain in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Vol. 18, Journal of pain. Churchill Livingstone Inc.; 2017. p. 60514.

  • 19.

    MillerMMMeintsSMHirshAT. Catastrophizing, pain, and functional outcomes for children with chronic pain: a meta-analytic review. Pain. (2018) 159(12):2442. 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001342

  • 20.

    NelsonSCoakleyR. The pivotal role of pediatric psychology in chronic pain: opportunities for informing and promoting new research and intervention in a shifting healthcare landscape. Curr Pain Headache Rep. (2018) 22(11):76. 10.1007/s11916-018-0726-0. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30206775/

  • 21.

    BrownCAJonesAKP. Psychobiological Correlates of Improved Mental Health in Patients With Musculoskeletal Pain After a Mindfulness-based Pain Management Program. 2012. Available at:www.clinicalpain.com

  • 22.

    FisherELawEDudeneyJPalermoTMStewartGEcclestonC. Psychological therapies for the management of chronic and recurrent pain in children and adolescents. Vol. 2018, Cochrane database of systematic reviews. John Wiley and Sons Ltd; 2018.

  • 23.

    WicksellRKMelinLOlssonGL. Exposure and acceptance in the rehabilitation of adolescents with idiopathic chronic pain - A pilot study. Eur J Pain. (2007) 11(3):26774. 10.1016/j.ejpain.2006.02.012

  • 24.

    Gauntlett-GilbertJConnellHClinchJMccrackenLM. Acceptance and values-based treatment of adolescents with chronic pain: outcomes and their relationship to acceptance. J Pediatr Psychol. (2013) 38:7281. 10.1093/jpepsy/jss098

  • 25.

    EcclestonCPalermoTMWilliamsAdCLewandowski HolleyAMorleySFisherEet alPsychological therapies for the management of chronic and recurrent pain in children and adolescents. Vol. 2017, Cochrane database of systematic reviews. John Wiley and Sons Ltd; 2014.

  • 26.

    WilliamsAdCFisherEHearnLEcclestonC. Psychological therapies for the management of chronic pain (excluding headache) in adults. Vol. 2020, Cochrane database of systematic reviews. John Wiley and Sons Ltd; 2020.

  • 27.

    EcclestonCMorleySWilliamsAYorkeLMastroyannopoulouK. Systematic review of randomised controlled trials of psychological therapy for chronic pain in children and adolescents, with a subset meta-analysis of pain relief. Available from: www.elsevier.com/locate/pain.

  • 28.

    CoronadoRABialoskyJEBishopMDRileyJLRobinsonMEMichenerLAet alThe comparative effects of spinal and peripheral thrust manipulation and exercise on pain sensitivity and the relation to clinical outcome: a mechanistic trial using a shoulder pain model. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. (2015) 45(4):25264. 10.2519/jospt.2015.5745

  • 29.

    RaphaelKGJanalMNSiroisDASvenssonP. Effect of contingent electrical stimulation on masticatory muscle activity and pain in patients with a myofascial temporomandibular disorder and sleep bruxism. J Orofac Pain. (2013) 27(1):2131. 10.11607/jop.1029

  • 30.

    DuarteDCastelo-BrancoLECUygur KucukseymenEFregniF. Developing an optimized strategy with transcranial direct current stimulation to enhance the endogenous pain control system in fibromyalgia. Expert Rev Med Devices. (2018) 15(12):86373. 10.1080/17434440.2018.1551129

  • 31.

    HughesLSClarkJColcloughJADaleEMcMillanD. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for chronic pain. Clinical Journal of Pain. (2017) 33(6):55268. 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000425

  • 32.

    HayesSCLuomaJBBondFWMasudaALillisJ. Acceptance and commitment therapy: model, processes and outcomes. Behav Res Ther. (2006) 44(1):125. 10.1016/j.brat.2005.06.006

  • 33.

    ZeidanFMartucciKTKraftRAGordonNSMchaffieJGCoghillRC. Brain mechanisms supporting the modulation of pain by mindfulness meditation. J Neurosci. (2011) 31(14):55408. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5791-10.2011

  • 34.

    McCrackenLMSatoATaylorGJ. A trial of a brief group-based form of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for chronic pain in general practice: pilot outcome and process results. J Pain. (2013) 14(11):1398406. 10.1016/j.jpain.2013.06.011

  • 35.

    ReinerKShvartzmanPCohenZZLipsitzJD. Assessing the effectiveness of mindfulness in the treatment of chronic back pain: use of quantitative sensory pain assessment. Mindfulness (N Y). (2019) 10(5):94352. 10.1007/s12671-018-1053-6

  • 36.

    GrossmanPNiemannLSchmidtSWalachH. Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: a meta-analysis. J Psychosom Res. (2004) 57(1):3543. 10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00573-7

  • 37.

    CassidyELAthertonRJRobertsonNWalshDAGillettR. Mindfulness, functioning and catastrophizing after multidisciplinary pain management for chronic low back pain. Pain. (2012) 153(3):64450. 10.1016/j.pain.2011.11.027

  • 38.

    McCrackenLMGutiérrez-MartínezO. Processes of change in psychological flexibility in an interdisciplinary group-based treatment for chronic pain based on acceptance and commitment therapy. Behav Res Ther. (2011) 49(4):26774. 10.1016/j.brat.2011.02.004

  • 39.

    ChiesaASerrettiA. Mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain: a systematic review of the evidence. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. (2011) 17:8393. 10.1089/acm.2009.0546

  • 40.

    VeehofMMTrompetterHRBohlmeijerETSchreursKMG. Acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of chronic pain: a meta-analytic review. Vol. 45, Cognitive behaviour therapy. Routledge; 2016. p. 531.

  • 41.

    WicksellRKMelinLLekanderMOlssonGL. Evaluating the effectiveness of exposure and acceptance strategies to improve functioning and quality of life in longstanding pediatric pain - A randomized controlled trial. Pain. (2009) 141(3):24857. 10.1016/j.pain.2008.11.006

  • 42.

    PielechMVowlesKEWicksellR. Acceptance and commitment therapy for pediatric chronic pain: theory and application. Children. MDPI. (2017) 4. 10.3390/children4020010

  • 43.

    WicksellRKAhlqvistJBringAMelinLOlssonGL. Can exposure and acceptance strategies improve functioning and life satisfaction in people with chronic pain and whiplash-associated disorders (WAD)? A randomized controlled trial. Cogn Behav Ther. (2008) 37(3):16982. 10.1080/16506070802078970

  • 44.

    HowarthARiazMPerkins-PorrasLSmithJGSubramaniamJCoplandCet alPilot randomised controlled trial of a brief mindfulness-based intervention for those with persistent pain. J Behav Med. (2019) 42(6):9991014. 10.1007/s10865-019-00040-5

  • 45.

    HiltonLHempelSEwingBAApaydinEXenakisLNewberrySet alMindfulness meditation for chronic pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Behav Med. (2017) 51(2):199213. 10.1007/s12160-016-9844-2

  • 46.

    Frequently Asked Questions - Mechanistic Clinical Trials | NHLBI, NIH. Available at:https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/node-general/frequently-asked-questions-mechanistic-clinical-trials

  • 47.

    SjøgrenPChristrupLLPetersenMAHøjstedJ. Neuropsychological assessment of chronic non-malignant pain patients treated in a multidisciplinary pain centre. Eur J Pain. (2005) 9(4):453. 10.1016/j.ejpain.2004.10.005

  • 48.

    HarmanKRuyakP. Working through the pain: a controlled study of the impact of persistent pain on performing a computer task. Clin J Pain. (2005) 21(3):21622. 10.1097/00002508-200505000-00004

  • 49.

    RyanCMWilliamsTMFinegoldDNOrchardTJ. Cognitive dysfunction in adults with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus of long duration: effects of recurrent hypoglycaemia and other chronic complications. Diabetologia. (1993) 36(4):32934. 10.1007/BF00400236

  • 50.

    RyanCMWilliamsTMOrchardTJFinegoldDN. Psychomotor slowing is associated with distal symmetrical polyneuropathy in adults with diabetes mellitus. Diabetes. (1992) 41(1):10713. 10.2337/diab.41.1.107

  • 51.

    WeinerDKRudyTEMorrowLSlabodaJLieberS. The relationship between pain, neuropsychological performance, and physical function in community-dwelling older adults with chronic low back pain. Pain Med. (2006) 7(1):6070. 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2006.00091.x

  • 52.

    JamisonRNSbroccoTParrisWCV. The influence of problems with concentration and memory on emotional distress and daily activities in chronic pain patients. Int J Psychiatry Med. (1988) 18(2):18391. 10.2190/FTR1-F9VX-CB8T-WPMC

  • 53.

    BosmaFKKesselsRP. Cognitive impairments, psychological dysfunction, and coping styles in patients with chronic whiplash syndrome. Neuropsychiatry Neuropsychol Behav Neurol. (2002) 15(1):5665.

  • 54.

    GraceGMNielsonWRHopkinsMBergMA. Concentration and memory deficits in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. (1999) 21(4):47787. 10.1076/jcen.21.4.477.876

  • 55.

    VeldhuijzenDSSondaalSFVOostermanJM. Intact cognitive inhibition in patients with fibromyalgia but evidence of declined processing speed. J Pain. (2012) 13(5):50715. 10.1016/j.jpain.2012.02.011

  • 56.

    SuhrJA. Neuropsychological impairment in fibromyalgia: relation to depression, fatigue, and pain. J Psychosom Res. (2003) 55(4):3219. 10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00628-1

  • 57.

    ScherderEJAEggermontLPlooijBOudshoornJVuijkPJPickeringGet alRelationship between chronic pain and cognition in cognitively intact older persons and in patients with Alzheimer's Disease. The need to control for mood. Gerontology. (2008) 54(1):508. 10.1159/000113216

  • 58.

    Weyer JamoraCSchroederSCRuffRM. Pain and mild traumatic brain injury: the implications of pain severity on emotional and cognitive functioning. Brain Inj. (2013) 27(10):113440. 10.3109/02699052.2013.804196

  • 59.

    KuritaGPde Mattos PimentaCABragaPEFrichLJørgensenMMNielsenPRet alCognitive function in patients with chronic pain treated with opioids: characteristics and associated factors. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. (2012) 56(10):125766. 10.1111/j.1399-6576.2012.02760.x

  • 60.

    StaudR. The important role of CNS facilitation and inhibition for chronic pain. Int J Clin Rheumtol. (2013) 8(6):63946. 10.2217/ijr.13.57

  • 61.

    OssipovMHMorimuraKPorrecaF. Descending pain modulation and chronification of pain. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care. (2014) 8(2):14351. 10.1097/SPC.0000000000000055

  • 62.

    LvQWuFGanXYangXZhouLChenJet alThe involvement of descending pain inhibitory system in electroacupuncture-induced analgesia. Front Integr Neurosci. (2019) 13:38. 10.3389/fnint.2019.00038. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31496944/

  • 63.

    LiHLiXFengYGaoFKongYHuL. Deficits in ascending and descending pain modulation pathways in patients with postherpetic neuralgia. Neuroimage. (2020) 221:117186. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117186. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32711060/

  • 64.

    ZhangLZhouLRenQMokhtariTWanLZhouXet alEvaluating cortical alterations in patients with chronic back pain using neuroimaging techniques: recent advances and perspectives. Vol. 10, Frontiers in psychology. Frontiers Media S.A.; 2019.

  • 65.

    Nahman-AverbuchHMartucciKTGranovskyYWeissman-FogelIYarnitskyDCoghillRC. Distinct brain mechanisms support spatial vs temporal filtering of nociceptive information. Pain. (2014) 155(12):2491501. 10.1016/j.pain.2014.07.008

  • 66.

    As-SanieSHarrisRENapadowVKimJNeshewatGKairysAet alChanges in regional gray matter volume in women with chronic pelvic pain: a voxel-based morphometry study. Pain. (2012) 153(5):100614. 10.1016/j.pain.2012.01.032

  • 67.

    PengKKarunakaranKDLabadieRVeliuMCheungCLeeAet alSuppressed prefrontal cortex oscillations associate with clinical pain in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. Orphanet J Rare Dis. (2021) 16(1):54. 10.1186/s13023-021-01709-4

  • 68.

    Schmidt-WilckeTGänßbauerSNeunerTBogdahnUMayA. Subtle grey matter changes between migraine patients and healthy controls. Cephalalgia. (2008) 28(1):14. 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01428.x

  • 69.

    Schmidt-WilckeTLeinisch;EStraube;AKäMpfeNDraganskiBDienerHCet alGray matter decrease in patients with chronic tension type headache. 2005. Available at:www.neurology.org

  • 70.

    KimSHLeeYLeeSMunCW. Evaluation of the effectiveness of pregabalin in alleviating pain associated with fibromyalgia: using functional magnetic resonance imaging study. PLoS One. (2013) 8(9):e74099. 10.1371/journal.pone.0074099

  • 71.

    TimmersIde JongJRGoossensMVerbuntJASmeetsRJKaasAL. Exposure in vivo induced changes in neural circuitry for pain-related fear: a longitudinal fMRI study in chronic low back pain. Front Neurosci. (2019) 13:970. 10.3389/fnins.2019.00970

  • 72.

    GustinSMSchwarzABirbaumerNSinesNSchmidtACVeitRet alNMDA-receptor antagonist and morphine decrease CRPS-pain and cerebral pain representation. Pain. (2010) 151(1):6976. 10.1016/j.pain.2010.06.022

  • 73.

    SandersDKrauseKO’MuircheartaighJThackerMAHugginsJPVennartWet alPharmacologic modulation of hand pain in osteoarthritis: a double-blind placebo-controlled functional magnetic resonance imaging study using naproxen. Arthritis and Rheumatology. (2015) 67(3):74151. 10.1002/art.38987

  • 74.

    KoeppeCSchneiderCThiemeKMenseSStratzTMüllerWet alThe influence of the 5-HT 3 receptor antagonist tropisetron on pain in fibromyalgia: a functional magnetic resonance imaging pilot study. In: scandinavian journal of rheumatology. Supplement. (2004) 119:247. 10.1080/03009740410006989

  • 75.

    PetzkeFJensenKBKosekEChoyECarvilleSFranssonPet alUsing fMRI to evaluate the effects of milnacipran on central pain processing in patients with fibromyalgia. Scand J Pain. (2013) 4(2):6574. 10.1016/j.sjpain.2012.10.002

  • 76.

    HarteSEIchescoEHampsonJPPeltierSJSchmidt-WilckeTClauwDJet alPharmacologic attenuation of cross-modal sensory augmentation within the chronic pain insula. Pain. (2016) 157(9):193345. 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000593

  • 77.

    JensenKBKosekEWicksellRKemaniMOlssonGMerleJvet alCognitive behavioral therapy increases pain-evoked activation of the prefrontal cortex in patients with fibromyalgeia. Pain. (2012) 153(7):1495503. 10.1016/j.pain.2012.04.010

  • 78.

    TaylorAGAndersonJGRiedelSLLewisJEBourguignonC. A randomized, controlled, double-blind pilot study of the effects of cranial electrical stimulation on activity in brain pain processing regions in individuals with fibromyalgia. Explore: the Journal of Science and Healing. (2013) 9(1):3240. 10.1016/j.explore.2012.10.006

  • 79.

    SmallwoodRFPotterJSRobinDA. Neurophysiological mechanisms in acceptance and commitment therapy in opioid-addicted patients with chronic pain. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. (2016) 250:124. 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2016.03.001

  • 80.

    GrazziLChiappariniLFerraroSUsaiSAndrasikFMandelliMLet alChronic migraine with medication overuse pre-post withdrawal of symptomatic medication: clinical results and fMRI correlations. Headache. (2010) 50(6):9981004. 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2010.01695.x

  • 81.

    LiZZengFYinTLanLMakrisNJorgensonKet alAcupuncture modulates the abnormal brainstem activity in migraine without aura patients. Neuroimage Clin. (2017) 15:36775. 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.05.013. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28580293/

  • 82.

    BalikiMNGehaPYJabakhanjiRHardenNSchnitzerTJApkarianAV. A preliminary fMRI study of analgesic treatment in chronic back pain and knee osteoarthritis. Mol Pain. (2008) 4:47. 10.1186/1744-8069-4-47. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18950528/

  • 83.

    HubbardCSBecerraLSmithJHDeLangeJMSmithRMBlackDFet alBrain Changes in Responders vs. Non-Responders in Chronic Migraine: Markers of Disease Reversal. 2016; Available at:www.frontiersin.org

  • 84.

    BeltraminiAMilojevicKPateronD. Pain assessment in newborns, infants, and children. Pediatr Ann. (2017) 46(10):e38795. 10.3928/19382359-20170921-03

  • 85.

    KotfisKZegan-BaraskaMSzydLowskiLUkowskiMElyEW. Methods of pain assessment in adult intensive care unit patients - Polish version of the CPOT (critical care pain observation tool) and BPS (behavioral pain scale). Anaesthesiol Intensive Ther. (2017) 49(1):6672. 10.5603/AIT.2017.0010

  • 86.

    KimYSParkJMMoonYSHanSH. Assessment of pain in the elderly: a literature review. Natl Med J India. (2017) 30(4):2037. [cited 2022 Sep 14]. 10.4103/0970-258X.218673

  • 87.

    GursulDHartleyCSlaterR. Nociception and the neonatal brain. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. (2019) 24(4):101016. 10.1016/j.siny.2019.05.008

  • 88.

    HerrKCoynePJElyEGélinasCManworrenRCB. Pain assessment in the patient unable to self-report: clinical practice recommendations in support of the ASPMN 2019 position statement. Pain Manag Nurs. (2019) 20(5):40417. 10.1016/j.pmn.2019.07.005

  • 89.

    SlaterRFabriziLWorleyAMeekJBoydSFitzgeraldM. Premature infants display increased noxious-evoked neuronal activity in the brain compared to healthy age-matched term-born infants. Neuroimage. (2010) 52(2):5839. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.04.253

  • 90.

    VerriotisMFabriziLLeeACooperRJFitzgeraldMMeekJ. Mapping cortical responses to somatosensory stimuli in human infants with simultaneous near-infrared spectroscopy and event-related potential recording. eNeuro. (2016) 3(2):66373. 10.1523/ENEURO.0026-16.2016

  • 91.

    WilliamsGFabriziLMeekJJacksonDTraceyIRobertsonNet alFunctional magnetic resonance imaging can be used to explore tactile and nociceptive processing in the infant brain. Acta paediatrica. International Journal of Paediatrics. (2015) 104(2):15866. 10.1111/apa.12848

  • 92.

    SlaterRCantarellaAGallellaSWorleyABoydSMeekJet alCortical pain responses in human infants. J Neurosci. (2006) 26(14):36626. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0348-06.2006

  • 93.

    SlaterRFitzgeraldMMeekJ. Can cortical responses following noxious stimulation inform US about pain processing in neonates?Semin Perinatol. (2007) 31:298302. 10.1053/j.semperi.2007.07.001

  • 94.

    HolmesSAUpadhyayJBorsookD. Delineating conditions and subtypes in chronic pain using neuroimaging. Pain Rep. (2019) 4(4):e768. 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000768. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31579859/

  • 95.

    SimonsLEMoultonEALinnmanCCarpinoEBecerraLBorsookD. The human amygdala and pain: evidence from neuroimaging. Hum Brain Mapp. (2014) 35(2):52738. 10.1002/hbm.22199

  • 96.

    BorsookDHargreavesR. Brain imaging in migraine research. Headache. (2010) 50(9):15237. 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2010.01761.x

  • 97.

    WilliamsLMComanJTStetzPCWalkerNCKozelFAGeorgeMSet alIdentifying response and predictive biomarkers for transcranial magnetic stimulation outcomes: protocol and rationale for a mechanistic study of functional neuroimaging and behavioral biomarkers in veterans with pharmacoresistant depression. BMC Psychiatry. (2021) 21(1):35. 10.1186/s12888-020-03030-z. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33435926/

  • 98.

    NordCLHalahakoonDCLimbachyaTCharpentierCLallyNWalshVet alNeural predictors of treatment response to brain stimulation and psychological therapy in depression: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Neuropsychopharmacology. (2019) 44(9):161322. 10.1038/s41386-019-0401-0

  • 99.

    McClureEBAdlerAMonkCSCameronJSmithSNelsonEEet alfMRI predictors of treatment outcome in pediatric anxiety disorders. Psychopharmacology (Berl). (2007) 191(1):97105. 10.1007/s00213-006-0542-9

  • 100.

    Del-BenCMDeakinJFWMckieSDelvaiNAWilliamsSRElliottRet alThe effect of citalopram pretreatment on neuronal responses to neuropsychological tasks in Normal volunteers: an FMRI study. Neuropsychopharmacology. (2005) 30(9):172434. 10.1038/sj.npp.1300728

  • 101.

    Hoehn-SaricRSchlundMWWongSHY. Effects of citalopram on worry and brain activation in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. (2004) 131(1):1121. 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2004.02.003

  • 102.

    GadadBSJhaMKCzyszAFurmanJLMayesTLEmslieMPet alPeripheral biomarkers of major depression and antidepressant treatment response: current knowledge and future outlooks. J Affect Disord. (2018) 233:314. 10.1016/j.jad.2017.07.001. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28709695/

  • 103.

    MarwoodLWiseTPerkinsAMCleareAJ. Meta-analyses of the neural mechanisms and predictors of response to psychotherapy in depression and anxiety. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. (2018) 95:6172. 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.09.022. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30278195/

  • 104.

    DaSilvaAFMGranzieraCTuchDSSnyderJVincentMHadjikhaniN. Interictal alterations of the trigeminal somatosensory pathway and periaqueductal gray matter in migraine. Neuroreport. (2007) 18(4):3015. 10.1097/WNR.0b013e32801776bb

  • 105.

    Gomez-BeldarrainMOrozIZapirainBGRuanovaBFFernandezYGCabreraAet alRight fronto-insular white matter tracts link cognitive reserve and pain in migraine patients. Journal of Headache and Pain. (2015) 17(1):112. 10.1186/s10194-016-0591-3

  • 106.

    QinZHeXWZhangJXuSLiGFSuJet alStructural changes of cerebellum and brainstem in migraine without aura. Journal of Headache and Pain. (2019) 20(1):93. 10.1186/s10194-019-1045-5

  • 107.

    SzabóNKincsesZTPárdutzÁTajtiJSzokDTukaBet alWhite matter microstructural alterations in migraine: a diffusion-weighted MRI study. Pain. (2012) 153(3):6516. 10.1016/j.pain.2011.11.029

  • 108.

    YuanKQinWLiuPZhaoLYuDZhaoLet alReduced fractional anisotropy of corpus Callosum modulates inter-hemispheric resting state functional connectivity in migraine patients without aura. PLoS One. (2012) 7(9):e45476. 10.1371/journal.pone.0045476

  • 109.

    TeepkerMMenzlerKBelkeMHeverhagenJTVoelkerMMyliusVet alDiffusion tensor imaging in episodic cluster headache. Headache. (2012) 52(2):27482. 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2011.02000.x

  • 110.

    HayesDJChenDQZhongJLinABehanBWalkerMet alAffective circuitry alterations in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. Front Neuroanat. (2017) 11:73. 10.3389/fnana.2017.00073

  • 111.

    Fernandez RojasRHuangXOuKL. A machine learning approach for the identification of a biomarker of human pain using fNIRS. Sci Rep. (2019) 9(1):5645. 10.1038/s41598-019-42098-w

  • 112.

    Fernandez RojasRLiaoMRomeroJHuangXOuKL. Cortical network response to acupuncture and the effect of the hegu point: an FNIRS study. Sensors (Switzerland). (2019) 19(2):394. 10.3390/s19020394

  • 113.

    BandeiraJSAntunesLdCSoldatelliMDSatoJRFregniFCaumoW. Functional spectroscopy mapping of pain processing cortical areas during non-painful peripheral electrical stimulation of the accessory spinal nerve. Front Hum Neurosci. (2019) 13:200. 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00200

  • 114.

    GentileERicciKDelussiMBrighinaFde TommasoM. Motor cortex function in fibromyalgia: a study by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Pain Res Treat. (2019) 2019:2623161. 10.1155/2019/2623161

  • 115.

    GentileERicciKDelussiMde TommasoM. Motor cortex function in fibromyalgia: a pilot study involving near-infrared spectroscopy and co-recording of laser-evoked potentials. Funct Neurol. (2019) 34(2):107–18. Available at:http://www.ant-neu-

  • 116.

    HuXSNascimentoTDBenderMCHallTPettySO’MalleySet alFeasibility of a real-time clinical augmented reality and artificial intelligence framework for pain detection and localization from the brain. J Med Internet Res. (2019) 21(6):e13594.

  • 117.

    BembichSDavanzoRBrovedaniPClariciAMassaccesiSDemariniS. Functional neuroimaging of breastfeeding analgesia by multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy. Neonatology. (2013) 104(4):2559. 10.1159/000353386

  • 118.

    BembichSContGBaldassiGBuaJDemariniS. Maternal holding vs oral glucose administration as nonpharmacologic analgesia in newborns: a functional neuroimaging study. Vol. 169, JAMA Pediatrics. American Medical Association; 2015. p. 2845.

  • 119.

    ChenWLWagnerJHeugelNSugarJLeeYWConantLet alFunctional near-infrared spectroscopy and its clinical application in the field of neuroscience: advances and future directions. Front Neurosci. (2020) 14:724. 10.3389/fnins.2020.00724. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32742257/

  • 120.

    ScarapicchiaVBrownCMayoCGawrylukJR. Functional magnetic resonance imaging and functional near-infrared spectroscopy: insights from combined recording studies. Front Hum Neurosci. (2017) 11:419. 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00419. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28867998/

  • 121.

    KarunakaranKDKussmanBDPengKBecerraLLabadieRBernierRet alBrain-based measures of nociception during general anesthesia with remifentanil: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS Med. (2022) 19(4):e1003965. 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003965. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35452458/

  • 122.

    GreenSKarunakaranKDLabadieRKussmanBMizrahi-ArnaudAMoradAGet alfNIRS brain measures of ongoing nociception during surgical incisions under anesthesia. Neurophotonics. (2022) 9(1):015002. 10.1117/1.NPh.9.1.015002. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35111876/

  • 123.

    PengKYücelMASteeleSCBittnerEAAastedCMHoeftMAet alMorphine attenuates fNIRS signal associated with painful stimuli in the medial frontopolar Cortex (medial BA 10). Front Hum Neurosci. (2018) 12:394. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30349466/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00394

  • 124.

    GentileEBrunettiARicciKDelussiMBevilacquaVde TommasoM. Mutual interaction between motor cortex activation and pain in fibromyalgia: eEG-fNIRS study. PLoS One. (2020) 15(1):e0228158. 10.1371/journal.pone.0228158

  • 125.

    ErpeldingNSimonsLLebelASerranoPPielechMPrabhuSet alRapid treatment-induced brain changes in pediatric CRPS. Brain Struct Funct. (2016) 221(2):1095111. 10.1007/s00429-014-0957-8

  • 126.

    BecerraLSavaSSimonsLEDrososAMSethnaNBerdeCet alIntrinsic brain networks normalize with treatment in pediatric complex regional pain syndrome. Neuroimage Clin. (2014) 6:34769. 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.07.012

  • 127.

    SimonsLEPielechMErpeldingNLinnmanCMoultonESavaSet alThe responsive amygdala: treatment-induced alterations in functional connectivity in pediatric complex regional pain syndrome. Pain. (2014) 155(9):172742. 10.1016/j.pain.2014.05.023

  • 128.

    RoccaMAMessinaRColomboBFaliniAComiGFilippiM. Structural brain MRI abnormalities in pediatric patients with migraine. J Neurol. (2014) 261(2):3507. 10.1007/s00415-013-7201-y

  • 129.

    FariaVErpeldingNLeBelAJohnsonAWolffRFairDet alThe migraine brain in transition: girls vs boys. Pain. (2015) 156(11):221221. 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000292

  • 130.

    GoksanSBaxterLMoultrieFDuffEHathwayGHartleyCet alThe influence of the descending pain modulatory system on infant pain-related brain activity. 2018; Available at:https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.37125.001

  • 131.

    GoksanSHartleyCEmeryFCockrillNPoorunRMoultrieFet alfMRI reveals neural activity overlap between adult and infant pain. Elife. (2015) 2015(4):113. 10.7554/eLife.06356

  • 132.

    SimonsLEErpeldingNHernandezJMSerranoPZhangKLebelAAet alFear and reward circuit alterations in pediatric CRPS. Front Hum Neurosci. (2016) 9:703. 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00703. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26834606/

  • 133.

    HolmesSABarakatNBhasinMLopezNILebelAZurakowskiDet alBiological and behavioral markers of pain following nerve injury in humans. Neurobiology of Pain. (2020) 7:100038. 10.1016/j.ynpai.2019.100038

  • 134.

    ErpeldingNSavaSSimonsLELebelASerranoPBecerraLet alHabenula functional resting-state connectivity in pediatric CRPS. J Neurophysiol. (2014) 111(2):23947. 10.1152/jn.00405.2013

  • 135.

    PetterssonMOlssonEOhlinAErikssonM. Neurophysiological and behavioral measures of pain during neonatal hip examination. Paediatric and Neonatal Pain. (2019) 1(1):1520. 10.1002/pne2.12006

  • 136.

    VerriotisMSorgerCPetersJAyoubLJSeunarineKKClarkCAet alAmygdalar functional connectivity differences associated with reduced pain intensity in pediatric peripheral neuropathic pain. Frontiers in Pain Research (Lausanne, Switzerland). (2022) 3:918766. 10.3389/fpain.2022.918766. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35692562/

  • 137.

    RenXLiLLinSZhongCWangB. Effects of white noise on procedural pain-related cortical response and pain score in neonates: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Nurs Sci. (2022) 9(3):26977. 10.1016/j.ijnss.2022.06.007

  • 138.

    BekenSHirfanoǧluIMGücüyenerKErgenekonETuranÖÜnalSet alCerebral hemodynamic changes and pain perception during venipuncture: is glucose really effective?J Child Neurol. (2014) 29(5):61722. 10.1177/0883073813511149

  • 139.

    YuanINelsonOBarrGAZhangBTopjianAADiMaggioTJet alFunctional near-infrared spectroscopy to assess pain in neonatal circumcisions. Paediatr Anaesth. (2022) 32(3):40412. 10.1111/pan.14326

  • 140.

    LebelABecerraLWallinDMoultonEAMorrisSPendseGet alfMRI reveals distinct CNS processing during symptomatic and recovered complex regional pain syndrome in children. Brain. (2008) 131(7):185479. 10.1093/brain/awn123

  • 141.

    OlssonEAhlsénGErikssonM. Skin-to-skin contact reduces near-infrared spectroscopy pain responses in premature infants during blood sampling. Acta paediatrica. International Journal of Paediatrics. (2016) 105(4):37680. 10.1111/apa.13180

  • 142.

    TimmersILópez-SolàMHeathcoteLCHeirichMRushGQShearDet alAmygdala functional connectivity mediates the association between catastrophizing and threat-safety learning in youth with chronic pain. Pain. (2022) 163(4):71928. 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002410

  • 143.

    MaxMB. Is mechanism-based pain treatment attainable? Clinical trial issues. Journal of Pain. (2000) 1(3 SUPPL):29. 10.1054/jpai.2000.9819

  • 144.

    PalermoTMKashikar-ZuckSFriedrichsdorfSJPowersSW. Special considerations in conducting clinical trials of chronic pain management interventions in children and adolescents and their families. Pain Rep. (2019) 4(3):e649. 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000649

  • 145.

    WangYBernankeJPetersonBSMcGrathPStewartJChenYet alThe association between antidepressant treatment and brain connectivity in two double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials: a treatment mechanism study. Lancet Psychiatry. (2019) 6(8):66774. 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30179-8

  • 146.

    ShragerJBWangYLeeMNesbitSTropeWKonskerHet alRationale and design of a mechanistic clinical trial of JAK inhibition to prevent ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction. Respir Med. (2021) 189:106620. 10.1016/j.rmed.2021.106620. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34655959/

  • 147.

    MaHGuoLFeiHYinHWangHBaiBet alAssessing mental stress on myocardial perfusion and myocardial blood flow in women without obstructive coronary disease: protocol for a mechanistic clinical trial. BMJ Open. (2020) 10(12):e038362. 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038362. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33293388/

  • 148.

    FernándezAIBermejoJYottiRMartínez-GonzalezMiraAGophnaUet alThe impact of Mediterranean diet on coronary plaque vulnerability, microvascular function, inflammation and microbiome after an acute coronary syndrome: study protocol for the MEDIMACS randomized, controlled, mechanistic clinical trial. Trials. (2021) 22(1):795. 10.1186/s13063-021-05746-z. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34772433/

  • 149.

    ChimentiRLHallMMDilgerCPMerriwetherENWilkenJMSlukaKA. Local anesthetic injection resolves movement pain, motor dysfunction, and pain catastrophizing in individuals with chronic achilles tendinopathy: a nonrandomized clinical trial. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. (2020) 50(6):33443. 10.2519/jospt.2020.9242

  • 150.

    CramerGDKimRRajuPKCambronJCantuJABoraPet alQuantification of cavitation and gapping of lumbar zygapophyseal joints during spinal manipulative therapy. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. (2012) 35(8):61421. 10.1016/j.jmpt.2012.06.007

  • 151.

    CourcoulasAPStefaterMAShirleyEGourashWFStylopoulosN. The feasibility of examining the effects of gastric bypass surgery on intestinal metabolism: prospective, longitudinal mechanistic clinical trial. JMIR Res Protoc. (2019) 8(1):e12459. 10.2196/12459. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30679147/

  • 152.

    Castillo SaavedraLMorales-QuezadaLDorukDRozinskyJCoutinhoLFariaPet alQEEG Indexed frontal connectivity effects of transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS): a sham-controlled mechanistic trial. Neurosci Lett. (2014) 577:615. 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.06.021. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24937270/

  • 153.

    AbererFPferschyPNTripoltNJSourijCObermayerAMPrüllerFet alHypoglycaemia leads to a delayed increase in platelet and coagulation activation markers in people with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin only: results from a stepwise hypoglycaemic clamp study. Diabetes Obes Metab. (2020) 22(2):21221. 10.1111/dom.13889

  • 154.

    MerzCNBHandbergEMShufeltCLMehtaPKMinissianMBWeiJet alA randomized, placebo-controlled trial of late na current inhibition (ranolazine) in coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD): impact on angina and myocardial perfusion reserve. Eur Heart J. (2016) 37(19):150413. 10.1093/eurheartj/ehv647

  • 155.

    TrippelTDvan LinthoutSWestermannDLindhorstRSandekAErnstSet alInvestigating a biomarker-driven approach to target collagen turnover in diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction patients. Effect of torasemide versus furosemide on serum C-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I (DROP-PIP trial). Eur J Heart Fail. (2018) 20(3):46070. 10.1002/ejhf.960

  • 156.

    BrownAJMLangCMcCrimmonRStruthersA. Does dapagliflozin regress left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with type 2 diabetes? A prospective, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. (2017) 17(1):229. 10.1186/s12872-017-0663-6. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28835229/

  • 157.

    TripathyDDanieleGFiorentinoTvPerez-CadenaZChavez-VelasquezAKamathSet alPioglitazone improves glucose metabolism and modulates skeletal muscle TIMP-3-TACE dyad in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, mechanistic study. Diabetologia. (2013) 56(10):215363. 10.1007/s00125-013-2976-z

  • 158.

    HoshiY. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy: potential and limitations in neuroimaging studies. Int Rev Neurobiol. (2005) 66:23766. 10.1016/S0074-7742(05)66008-4. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16387206/

  • 159.

    QiuTHameedNUFPengYWangSWuJZhouL. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy for intraoperative brain mapping. Neurophotonics. (2019) 6(4):1. 10.1117/1.NPh.6.4.045010

  • 160.

    KussmanBDAastedCMYücelMASteeleSCAlexanderMEBoasDAet alCapturing pain in the Cortex during general anesthesia: near infrared spectroscopy measures in patients undergoing catheter ablation of arrhythmias. PLoS One. (2016) 11(7):e0158975. 10.1371/journal.pone.0158975. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27415436/

  • 161.

    RummelCZublerCSchrothGGrallaJHsiehKAbelaEet alMonitoring cerebral oxygenation during balloon occlusion with multichannel NIRS. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. (2014) 34(2):34756. 10.1038/jcbfm.2013.207

  • 162.

    AkermanSHollandPRGoadsbyPJ. Diencephalic and brainstem mechanisms in migraine. Nat Rev Neurosci. (2011) 12(10):57084. 10.1038/nrn3057

  • 163.

    ZhongJChenDQHungPSPHayesDJLiangKEDavisKDet alMultivariate pattern classification of brain white matter connectivity predicts classic trigeminal neuralgia. Pain. (2018) 159(10):207687. 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001312

  • 164.

    LeeJMawlaIKimJLoggiaMLOrtizAJungCet alMachine learning-based prediction of clinical pain using multimodal neuroimaging and autonomic metrics. Pain. (2019) 160(3):55060. 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001417

Summary

Keywords

pediatric chronic pain, behavioral intervention, pain treatment, mechanistic clinical trial (MCT), neuroimaging, fNIRS (functional near infrared spectroscopy), multimodal MRI

Citation

Jotwani ML, Wu Z, Lunde CE and Sieberg CB (2022) The missing mechanistic link: Improving behavioral treatment efficacy for pediatric chronic pain. Front. Pain Res. 3:1022699. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2022.1022699

Received

18 August 2022

Accepted

26 September 2022

Published

14 October 2022

Volume

3 - 2022

Edited by

Emma Fisher, University of Bath, United Kingdom

Reviewed by

Caroline Hartley, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Updates

Copyright

*Correspondence: Christine B. Sieberg

These authors have contributed equally to this work and share first authorship

Specialty Section: This article was submitted to Pediatric Pain, a section of the journal Frontiers in Pain Research

Disclaimer

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Outline

Cite article

Copy to clipboard


Export citation file


Share article

Article metrics