Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of Sensory Hypersensivity Scale

Investigation of the Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Translation of the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale

Central sensitization (CS) is as increased response to normal or sub-threshold stimuli of central nervous system. Patient history and physical examination, quantitative sensory testing(QST), imaging methods, neuroinflammatory marker levels, electrodiagnostic studies and clinical scales can be used in the diagnosis of CS, but there is no standardized method yet. Among these methods, clinical scales are preferred because they are practical, inexpensive and do not require experience. The Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale was developed by Dixon et al. for investigate the personal hypersensitivity and CS. The aim of this study is to investigate the Turkish validity and reliability of the sensory hypersensitivity scale.

The term central sensitization (CS) was first used by Wolf in 1988 and was explained as the increase in pain sensitivity with the amplification of neuron-derived signals in the central nervous system. With the development of CS, a decrease in the pain threshold and an increase in generalized sensitivity occur. There is no method for the diagnosis of CS is accepted as a gold standard. Clinical scales and quantitative sensory testing (QST) is used for this purpose widely. In addition, the well-known scale used for the evaluation of CS is the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), developed for detect CS in chronic pain patients. The use of CSI, which is more practical to use, is becoming widespread because QST takes time, is costly and requires experienced practitioners. Considering the place of sensory hypersensitivity in the diagnosis of CS and the application difficulties of QST, the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale was developed in 2016. This scale includes 25 questions in the form of a Likert scale and questions the increase in modality-specific (touch, taste, hearing, etc.) sensitivity as well as the general sensitivity increase. Especially in chronic pain conditions, there is an increase in the evidence regarding the development of CS day by day, and the need for auxiliary tools in diagnosis is increasing in parallel. In this study, it was planned to show the Turkish reliability and validity the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Have musculoskeletal pain that lasts for at least 3 months
• Accepting to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Refuse to participate in the study