Evaluation of the Neuropathic Pain Component in Sickle Cell Disease

Public project summary

Pain is the defining factor in sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder caused by a mutation in the hemoglobin gene. The variability of chronic pain in sickle cell disease and the transition from acute to chronic pain is not well understood. Research on the prevalence of the neuropathic component of chronic pain, which is pain initiated by dysfunction of the peripheral or central nervous system, will allow for a more complete understanding of the effect of the neuropathic component on the complexity and severity of the pain experience. Furthermore, insights gained from this research will highlight the importance of the inclusion of pharmacological, non-pharmacological, and integrative therapeutic interventions in pain management of sickle cell disease and utilization of the biopsychosocial approach, which recognizes that biologic, neuropsychosocial, and socio-environmental elements play a key role in pain-related processes. This study will be descriptive, and systematically assess and identify the neuropathic component of pain in adults with sickle cell disease through administration of the painDETECT questionnaire (Freyhagen, 2006) in an outpatient setting. Information gained from this research will allow for a more individualized approach to pain management and the enhancement of patient centered care in sickle cell disease.