Study of Pain Catastrophizing-2 (SPAC-2)

Neural Mechanisms Underlying Psychosocial Contributions to Ethnic Group Differences in Pain

This study experimentally manipulates pain catastrophizing in order to investigate the neural mechanisms by which pain catastrophizing influences the experience of pain in different ethnic groups among adults with knee osteoarthritis. Participants will be randomized to either a single session cognitive-behavioral intervention to reduce pain catastrophizing or a pain education control group.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Symptomatic knee OA

Exclusion Criteria:

• Younger than 45 years of age or older than 85 years of age
• Prosthetic knee replacement or other clinically significant surgery to the arthritic knee
• Uncontrolled hypertension (>150/95)
• Heart disease including heart failure
• Peripheral neuropathy in which pain testing was contraindicated
• Systemic rheumatic disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, gout, and fibromyalgia
• Neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, stroke with loss of sensory or motor function, or uncontrolled seizures
• Significantly greater pain in body sites other than in the knee
• Daily opioid use
• Hospitalization within the preceding year for psychiatric illness
• Currently pregnant or nursing/breastfeeding