Pain Processing and Pain Neuroscience Education in Children With Chronic Abdominal Pain

Summary

The primary scientific objective of the study entails examining whether altered endogenous pain inhibition is present in children with functional abdominal pain (FAP) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) compared with healthy controls (Part 1). A secondary objective implies examining whether pediatric pain neuroscience education (PNE) is able to improve pain catastrophizing, pain-related fear, pain intensity (including symptoms and indices of central sensitization) and pain-related functional disability in children with FAP or IBS (Part 2).

Conditions

• Abdominal Pain
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Interventions

OTHER

Usual care

During usual care therapy, children and their parents will receive a +/- 1 h session containing bio-medical directed education and information about the gastro-intestinal system and its function. This knowledge will be brought to bear with a hypnotic journey through their body, guided by a nurse with specific expertise in pediatric abdominal pain. Furthermore, the influence of stress on the gastro-intestinal system will be explained, combined with exercises to practise abdominal respiration.

OTHER

Pain Neuroscience education

This therapy will consist out of a +/- 1 h one-on-one educational session about neurophysiology of pain, adjusted to the child's comprehension status. The content of the education sessions and pictures will be based on the book "Explain Pain" by Butler and Moseley and will include explanation and reassurance about the cause of pain, a brief summary of relevant pain mechanisms and the integral role of psychosocial and physical factors in precipitating and maintaining pain. Metaphors, leaflets, books and audio-visual media will be used in a supportive function to consolidate verbally transmitted information. Parents will participate in the PNE session as well.

OTHER

Extra care

During this therapy session, all the patient's/ parents questions that arose from the previous session (Usual care) will be answered. Afterwards, the educated content from this previous session will be revised. Nothing new will be taught. At the end of the session, the participant will be asked to demonstrate the previously learned exercises on abdominal respiration. If the exercises are not well performed, the therapist will correct them.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universiteit Antwerpen

  collaborator OTHER

• Vrije Universiteit Brussel

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Roselien Pas, MSc · Universiteit Antwerpen

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

6 Years

Max Age

12 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-02-09

Primary Completion

2018-10-04

Completion

2018-10-04

Countries

• Belgium

Study Locations