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Multicenter Study
. 2020 Jun 16:2020:7408508.
doi: 10.1155/2020/7408508. eCollection 2020.

Depression Prevalence in Neuropathic Pain and Its Impact on the Quality of Life

Farah Cherif  1 , Hela G Zouari  1   2 , Wissal Cherif  3   4 , Monia Hadded  4   5 , Majda Cheour  3   4 , Rahma Damak  3   4
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Depression Prevalence in Neuropathic Pain and Its Impact on the Quality of Life

Farah Cherif et al. Pain Res Manag. .

Abstract

Introduction: The management of neuropathic pain remains complex, generally because of the psychiatric comorbidity that is often underdiagnosed. The objectives of our work were to determine the link between depression and the characteristics of NP on the one hand and quality of life on the other hand, in a sample of subjects consulting for neuropathic pain (NP) regardless of etiology.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 61 neuropathic pain consulting patients in whom we assessed five parameters, namely, neuropathic pain based on DN4, pain intensity using EVA, anxiety, and depression according to the HADS and quality of life.

Results: The study population mean age was 52.71 ± 14.29 years while the sex ratio (m/f) was 0.52. The neuropathic pain's most common etiologies were postherpetic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and diabetic neuropathy. Depression and anxiety prevailed by 65.6% and 73.7%, respectively. The quality of life was impaired with average SF-12 physical and mental scores of 33.76 ± 8.03 and 37.78 ± 11.52, respectively. The overall mean BPI score was 5.53 ± 1.76. Patients with high DN4 scores were significantly more depressed (p=0.025). A significantly positive association was found between the depression score and the pain intensity (p=0.001, r = 0.41). Depressed subjects had a poor quality of life according to SF-12 and BPI.

Conclusion: Given the depressive comorbidity impact on the neuropathic pain components as well as the quality of life, screening for this comorbidity should be part of the baseline ND assessment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Repartition of the BPI items scores among the population.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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