Evidence for a biopsychosocial influence on shoulder pain: pain catastrophizing and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) diplotype predict clinical pain ratings.

ABSTRACT: The experience of pain is believed to be influenced by social, cultural, environmental, psychological, and genetic factors. Despite this assertion, few studies have included clinically relevant pain phenotypes when investigating interactions among these variables. This study investigated whether psychological variables specific to fear-avoidance models and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype influenced pain ratings for a cohort of patients receiving operative treatment of shoulder pain. Patients (n=58) completed questionnaires and had COMT genotype determined pre-operatively. Then, shoulder pain ratings were collected 3-5 months post-operatively. This cohort consisted of 24 females and 34 males, with mean age of 50.3 (SD=15.0) and pre-operative pain rating of 4.5/10 (SD=1.8). The

SUBMITTER: George SZ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2669670 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature