What will happen in the study?
This study includes up to 10 study visits over 2 to 5 weeks. Here are some of the things that will happen in this study:
- You, as the parent or guardian, will complete forms about your child’s medical history and chronic pain, etc.
- Your child will fill out questionnaires about themselves, their personality, feelings, etc. before and during the study.
- Different touch stimuli will be applied to the skin, for an assessment of how the nerves process sensory information.
- He/she will be randomly assigned (by chance, like the flip of coin) to one of two different attention training groups. Each group will receive a different type of sensory training to learn to focus their attention on parts of their body to more accurately feel touch sensations. Both types of attention training have the potential to make chronic pain better, but we do not know yet if one type will be better than the other.
Parents interested in having their child participate, as well as children and teens, will be given a consent form that thoroughly explains all of the details of the study. A member of the study staff will review the consent form with you and will be sure that all of your questions are answered.
What are the good things that can happen from this research?
Although your child is not expected to receive a direct benefit from taking part in this study, there is a potential that one or both forms of attention training can make their pain better. We hope that the information learned from this study will help other children and teens in the future.