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. 2022 Apr;23(4):693-705.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.11.007. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

Vulnerable Dispositional Traits and Chronic Pain: Predisposing but not Predetermining

Nicola Sambuco  1 , Angela M Mickle  2 , Cynthia Garvan  3 , Josue Cardoso  4 , Alisa J Johnson  4 , Daniel A Kusko  5 , Adriana Addison  5 , Toni L Glover  6 , Roland Staud  7 , David Redden  8 , Burel Goodin  5 , Roger B Fillingim  2 , Kimberly T Sibille  9
Affiliations

Vulnerable Dispositional Traits and Chronic Pain: Predisposing but not Predetermining

Nicola Sambuco et al. J Pain. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Dispositional traits can be protective or contribute to increased vulnerability in individuals with chronic pain. This study aims to evaluate the association between two dispositional trait measures, affect balance style and multi-domain trait groups, with psychosocial measures, clinical pain, functional pain, and experimental pain at two years in individuals with chronic knee pain. The study is a prospective analysis of 168 community dwelling individuals aged 45 to 85 years old with knee pain with or at risk for knee osteoarthritis. At baseline, affect balance style and multi-domain trait groups were associated with psychosocial measures, clinical pain, and functional status. At the two-year time point, the multi-domain trait groups were associated with the clinical pain measures. Interestingly, individuals with previously demonstrated vulnerable traits showed more variability in dispositional trait status at the two-year time point compared to those with dispositional traits previously demonstrated as more protective. Findings reiterate that dispositional traits are predisposing but are not predetermining regarding pain-related experiences. PERSPECTIVE: Vulnerable and protective dispositional traits are positively and negatively associated with clinical pain and functional limitations respectively. Although considered relatively stable, a 30-50% shift in dispositional traits was indicated over a two-year period. Findings highlight that dispositional trait are modifiable and thus, predisposing but not predetermining for persisting chronic pain.

Keywords: Dispositional traits; affect; musculoskeletal pain; osteoarthritis; temperament.

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Conflict of interest statement

The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest and disclose receipt of the following support for the research, authorship, and publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The underlying structure of the two multi-domain trait groups solution with k-means cluster revealed that a group of positive valence and cognition (left) characterized by low scores on negative valence, arousal, and sensorimotor with a concurrent high score for positive valence and cognition, while the opposite pattern characterizes the Negative Valence and Sensorimotor (right).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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