# Disrupted Spatial and Temporal Nociceptive Filtering in Adolescents with and Risk for Overlapping Pain Conditions

> **NIH NIH R56** · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · 2022 · $536,642

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
While localized primary pain conditions are prevalent in youth, a significant subset of these patients experience
multiple pain conditions and meet the criteria for chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs). COPCs have a
marked negative impact on daily functioning and quality of life in youth and carry a high risk for continued pain
and disability into adulthood. The underlying factors contributing to the development and persistence of
COPCs in youth are unknown. The current proposal offers an innovative and previously unexplored approach
to determine whether disruptions in spatial (concurrent noxious stimuli across the body) and temporal (noxious
stimuli presented over time) filtering of nociceptive processing, reflecting pain amplification (e.g., increased
facilitation and/or reduced inhibition), contribute to COPCs. Several quantitative sensory testing methods are
uniquely positioned to probe disruptions in nociceptive filtering across spatial (spatial summation, SS;
conditioned pain modulation, CPM) and temporal (temporal summation, TS; offset analgesia, OFA) domains.
Our recent pilot studies found evidence for greater disruptions in spatial (CPM) and temporal (TS) filtering in
youth with COPCs. Our primary objective is to determine if spatial and temporal filtering of nociceptive
information differentiate youth with COPCs from those with localized pain and healthy controls and determine
whether distinct profiles of disrupted nociceptive processing are associated with the transition of localized pain
to COPCs. To accomplish this, the current study will leverage expertise and a vast clinical infrastructure
(Migraine, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology and Pain Management clinics) at large pediatric medical center to
enroll 140 youth with a localized pain condition (migraine, abdominal pain, local MSK), and 140 youth with
COPC’s. We will also recruit 140 healthy youth to serve as a control group. Following initial phenotyping to
delineate disruptions in spatial and temporal dimensions of nociceptive processing (Aim 1), participants will be
assessed for changes in pain status (localized to COPCs) every three months for one year (Aim 2). In Aim 1,
we hypothesize that youth with COPCs will show disrupted spatial (reflected by reduced CPM and enhanced
SS) and temporal (reflected by enhanced TS and reduced OFA) processing compared to youth with localized
pain and healthy controls. These findings will delineate specific disruptions of nociceptive processing in
patients with COPCs. For Aim 2, we hypothesize that a subset of youth with localized pain and disrupted
spatial and temporal filtering will develop COPCs. We will examine the stability of spatial and temporal filtering
at clinically relevant timepoints (3-, 6-, and 12-months). We will also explore whether the disrupted filtering and
the transition to COPCs are influenced by factors including concomitant treatments. Our research will provide
the first insight into the presence and...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10592728
- **Project number:** 1R56NS126289-01
- **Recipient organization:** CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher D King
- **Activity code:** R56 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $536,642
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10592728

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10592728, Disrupted Spatial and Temporal Nociceptive Filtering in Adolescents with and Risk for Overlapping Pain Conditions (1R56NS126289-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10592728. Licensed CC0.

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