Multisensory sensitivity in relation to pain: a scoping review of terminology and assessment.

Chronic pain is a debilitating health problem affecting 20 million Americans annually. Most patients with chronic pain report negative impacts on daily function and quality of life, which can result in devastating emotional and financial stress. Although the causes of chronic pain remain elusive, there is increasing interest in sensitivity to everyday sensory stimuli as it relates to chronic pain, potentially serving as an indirect marker of altered central nervous system sensory processing. However, sensitivity to multiple sensory inputs, eg, bright lights, certain fabrics, loud noises, etc, is described using multiple terminologies. The lack of a common vocabulary makes it difficult to find and summarize related discoveries, potentially inhibiting scientific progress. Thus, the purpose of this scoping review was to identify and characterize the terminology used in publications assessing some form of multisensory sensitivity as it relates to pain (eg, a pain cohort or pain sensitivity). Our review of 6 databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO+, and Cochrane) comprehensively cataloged peer-reviewed studies published through March 2023 in this domain. Of 12,841 possible studies identified, 92 met all inclusion criteria, with over 80% being published in the last decade. A wide range of terminology has been used for this construct, likely in part a result of the many different professional disciplines represented. These results provide valuable insights for future development of a standardized vocabulary and serve as a resource to aid future investigators of multisensory sensitivity and pain in their study design.
Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. This study was funded in part by an Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU) Fellowship (HD) from the Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of Iowa. The results of this study do not reflect the perspectives or imply endorsement by the ICRU.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article.
(Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The International Association for the Study of Pain.)