Elsevier

The Journal of Pain

Volume 16, Issue 4, April 2015, Pages 357-366
The Journal of Pain

Original Report
Validation of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (SF-MPQ-2) in Acute Low Back Pain

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2015.01.012Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • The SF-MPQ-2 assesses the major symptoms of both neuropathic and nonneuropathic pain.

  • It has been used in previous studies of diverse chronic pain disorders, including clinical trials.

  • The SF-MPQ-2 was found to have excellent validity in acute low back and radicular leg pain.

  • Existing data indicate that the SF-MPQ-2 is a valid measure of neuropathic and nonneuropathic pain.

Abstract

The Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ-2) assesses the major symptoms of both neuropathic and nonneuropathic pain and can be used in studies of epidemiology, natural history, pathophysiologic mechanisms, and treatment response. Previous research has demonstrated its reliability, validity, and responsiveness in diverse samples of patients with chronic pain. However, the SF-MPQ-2 has not been evaluated for use in patients with acute pain. Data were examined from a double-blind, randomized clinical trial of immediate-release tapentadol versus immediate-release oxycodone in patients with acute low back and associated radicular leg pain (N = 666). Analyses of internal consistency, convergent validity, and confirmatory factor structure were conducted using baseline data, and analyses of responsiveness were conducted using baseline and endpoint data. The SF-MPQ-2 total score and its 4 subscale scores (continuous pain, intermittent pain, predominantly neuropathic pain, and affective descriptors) generally showed good psychometric properties and 1) were internally consistent, 2) displayed good convergent validity, 3) fit the a priori factor structure, and 4) were highly responsive to analgesic treatment. These data extend previous evidence of the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the SF-MPQ-2 in patients with chronic pain to those with acute low back and associated radicular leg pain.

Perspective

Considered together with the results of other recent studies, the data suggest that the SF-MPQ-2 can provide a valid, responsive, and efficient assessment of both neuropathic and nonneuropathic pain qualities for clinical trials and other clinical research examining patients with various acute and chronic pain conditions.

Key words

Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2
SF-MPQ-2
acute pain
low back pain
pain quality

Cited by (0)

Support for the clinical trial from which the data analyzed in this article were derived was provided by Janssen Scientific Affairs, which also provided a research grant to Analgesic Solutions to support data analyses and publication preparation.

Permission to use the SF-MPQ-2 can be obtained from the Mapi Research Trust, Lyon, France (e-mail: [email protected]; website: www.proqolid.com). Dr. Ronald Melzack and the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTTION) public-private partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration share licensing fees from for-profit organizations using the SF-MPQ-2 in their research. R.H.D. has received in the past 12 months a research grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (grant no. U01FD004187) and compensation for activities involving clinical trial research methods from Acetylon, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Avanir, Axsome, Biogen, Centrexion, Charleston, Chromocell, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eli Lilly, Hydra, Johnson & Johnson, Lpath, Maxwell Biotech, Metys, Olatec, Phosphagenics, QRx, Relmada, Salix, Sorrento, Spinifex, Teva, and Virobay. D.C.T. has received in the past 12 months a research grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (grant no. U01FD004187) and consulting fees or honoraria in the past year from Lilly, Mallincrodt, Orexo, Ortho-McNeil Janssen, Pfizer, and Xdynia. J.J.T. was a full-time employee of Analgesic Solutions at the time the study was conducted and the first draft of the manuscript was prepared. D.M.B., M.K., and C.B. are full-time employees of Johnson & Johnson. N.P.K. is the owner of Analgesic Solutions.