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The following is a summary of “Central sensitization inventory is associated with psychological functioning but not with psychophysical assessment of pain amplification,” published in the August 2024 issue of Pain by Salbego et al.

The central sensitization inventory (CSI) is a tool for assessing symptoms associated with sensitization in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate CSI with psychosocial and psychophysical factors in patients with TMD and determine the influence of variables on the CSI score variations.

They studied 77 patients diagnosed with TMD and 101 asymptomatic controls, demonstrating correlations between CSI, WUR, PPT, CPM, and psychosocial questionnaires (HADS, PSQI, PCS, and PSS). In cases where significant correlations existed, the potential influence on CSI variation was discovered by linear regression analysis.

The results showed a significant correlation between CSI and psychosocial variables such as anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, sleep, and stress (P<0.0006). Furthermore, it was discovered that 68.9% of the variation in CSI scores was influenced by all variables except stress. However, no correlation was found between CSI  and psychophysical parameters indicative of pain amplification (wind-up ratio and conditioned pain modulation) (P>0.320).

They concluded that CSI was more closely linked to psychosocial factors than CS, which implies that CSI may not be the most effective tool for detecting this phenomenon in patients with TMD and healthy individuals.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ejp.4713