Institute of Health Sciences Research (IUNICS-IdISBa), University of Balearic Islands, Carretera de Valldemossa km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 27;18(9):4661. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094661.
Pain and abnormal somatosensory processing are important associated conditions in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). Perceived social support is highly relevant for pain perception and coping.
The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of social support on pain sensitivity in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy and healthy peers.
Cross-sectional study.
Pressure pain thresholds were assessed in 42 children and adolescents with CP and 190 healthy peers during three different conditions: alone, with their mother and with a stranger.
Children with CP reported lower pain sensitivity when they were with their mother than being alone or with a stranger, whereas healthy peers did not experience different pain sensitivity related to the social condition. Sex or clinical characteristics did not affect the relationship between pain perception and social support.
The present study shows how children with CP are highly affected by social and contextual influences for regulating pain sensitivity. Solicitous parental support may enhance pain perception in children with CP. Further research on the topic is warranted in order to attain well-founded conclusions for clinical practice.
本研究旨在评估社会支持对脑瘫儿童和青少年疼痛敏感性的影响。
横断面研究。
在三种不同情况下评估了 42 名脑瘫儿童和青少年和 190 名健康对照者的压痛阈值：独处、与母亲和与陌生人在一起。
与独处或与陌生人相比，脑瘫儿童在与母亲在一起时报告的疼痛敏感性较低，而健康对照组在社会条件下没有不同的疼痛敏感性。性别或临床特征并不影响疼痛感知与社会支持之间的关系。
本研究表明，脑瘫儿童的疼痛敏感性受到社会和环境影响的高度调节。父母的关怀支持可能会增强脑瘫儿童的疼痛感知。为了得出更有根据的临床实践结论，需要进一步研究这一主题。
