Pain phenotypes in caregivers of children with cerebral palsy.

Objectives: To determine the phenotypes of chronic pain seen in individuals caring for children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods: A current classification system was used to determine the prevalence of predominant pain phenotypes in caregivers of children with CP. To this end, the Visual Analog Scale, Margolis pain diagram, Central Sensitization Inventory, and Short Form-36 questionnaire were administered to the participants. In addition, the participants underwent a quantitative sensory examination.

Results: This study was concluded with 60 individuals. The predominant pain phenotype was nociceptive pain in 30% of the participants, nociplastic pain in 25%, and neuropathic pain in 5%. The pain duration (p=0.365) and quality of life of the individuals did not significantly differ according to the predominant pain phenotypes (p>0.05). However, there was a statistically significant difference between the pain phenotypes in terms of pain severity (p=0.016) and the Central Sensitization Inventory scores (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Nociceptive pain was the most common pain phenotype in caregivers of children with CP. We also concluded that among the pain phenotypes, pain intensity was highest in neuropathic pain. There is a need for further studies in this area to demonstrate the validity and reliability of the evaluated mechanism-based classification system in order for it to be included in clinical guidelines.