Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 May;22(5):1584-1595.
doi: 10.1007/s10461-017-1856-9.

Psychological Factors Associated With Painful Versus Non-Painful HIV-Associated Sensory Neuropathy

Prinisha Pillay  1 , Antonia L Wadley  2 , Catherine L Cherry  2   3   4 , Alan S Karstaedt  5 , Peter R Kamerman  2   6
Affiliations

Psychological Factors Associated With Painful Versus Non-Painful HIV-Associated Sensory Neuropathy

Prinisha Pillay et al. AIDS Behav. 2018 May.

Abstract

HIV-associated sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN) is a common, and frequently painful complication of HIV, but factors that determine the presence of pain are unresolved. We investigated: (i) if psychological factors associated with painful (n = 125) versus non-painful HIV-SN (n = 72), and (ii) if pain and psychological factors affected quality of life (QoL). We assessed anxiety and depression using the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25. Pain catastrophizing and QoL were assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and Euroqol-5D, respectively. Presence of neuropathy was detected using the Brief Neuropathy Screening Tool, and pain was characterised using the Wisconsin Brief Pain Questionnaire. Overall, there was a high burden of pain, depression and anxiety in the cohort. None of the psychological variables associated with having painful HIV-SN. Greater depressive symptoms and presence of pain were independently associated with lower QoL. In those participants with painful HIV-SN, greater depressive symptom scores were associated with increased pain intensity. In conclusion, in a cohort with high background levels of psychological dysfunction, psychological factors do not predict the presence of pain, but both depression and presence of pain are associated with poor quality of life.

Keywords: Depression; Pain intensity; Painful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy; Quality of life.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Kamerman PR, Wadley AL, Cherry CL. HIV-associated sensory neuropathy: risk factors and genetics. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2012;16(3):226–36. - PubMed - DOI
    1. Mehta SA, Ahmed A, Laverty M, Holzman RS, Valentine F, Sivapalasingam S. Sex differences in the incidence of peripheral neuropathy among Kenyans initiating antiretroviral therapy. Clin Infect Dis. 2011;53(5):490–6. - PubMed - PMC - DOI
    1. Arenas-Pinto A, Thompson J, Musoro G, et al. Peripheral neuropathy in HIV patients in sub-Saharan Africa failing first-line therapy and the response to second-line ART in the EARNEST trial. J Neurovirol. 2015;22(1):104–13. - PubMed - DOI
    1. Kamerman PR. HIV neuropathy: down but not out. Figshare. 2016;. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.2656255 .
    1. Ellis RJ, Rosario D, Clifford DB, et al. Continued high prevalence and adverse clinical impact of human immunodeficiency virus-associated sensory neuropathy in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy: the CHARTER Study. Arch Neurol. 2010;67(5):552–8. - PubMed - PMC - DOI

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources