# Predictors of Pain Severity and Pain-Related Outcomes in Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease

> **NIH NIH K01** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $135,189

## Abstract

Severe, disabling pain is the hallmark of sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD pain is associated with poor quality of
life, early mortality, and high healthcare costs. Clinicians face great challenges in managing SCD pain because
of the poor understanding of the etiology of chronic/persistent SCD pain and the absence of validated clinical
prognostic tools that can accurately identify individuals with SCD who are at risk of developing severe,
persistent pain with associated physical and/or psychological disability. The overall objective of this project is to
identify predictors of pain severity and pain-related outcomes in SCD using a prospective, longitudinal study
design informed by the biopsychosocial model of pain. This proposal is supported by the hypothesis that painspecific
psychological and sensory factors are strong, modifiable predictors of SCD pain severity and painrelated
outcomes. The understanding of pain-specific psychological and sensory predictors of SCD pain
outcomes is anticipated to have important implications for (1) identifying SCD patients who are at risk for
severe pain outcomes, (2) informing preventive and therapeutic management of SCD pain, and (3) selecting
patients for clinical trials of non-opioid interventions for SCD pain. The hypothesis will be tested by pursuing
two specific aims: Aim 1) Determine psychological predictors of pain outcomes; and Aim 2) Ascertain the
strength of pain distribution and sensitivity as predictors of pain outcomes. The candidate will use reliable and
well validated pain-specific patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires to evaluate the strength of
psychological factors for predicting pain severity and other pain-related outcomes in the study cohort (Aim 1)
and will use body mapping and quantitative sensory testing (QST) to examine sensory predictors of pain
outcomes (Aim 2). The prospective, longitudinal design of this study and the use of biopsychosocial model of
pain are innovative. The candidate's long-term goal is to become an interdisciplinary SCD pain expert who is
a leading contributor to the treatment and understanding of the etiology and prognosis of chronic pain in
adolescents and young adults with SCD. Her interdisciplinary training background in pediatrics and
anesthesiology uniquely positions her for pursuing this research agenda. Through a detailed and specific
career development plan developed in conjunction with her mentoring panel, the candidate will acquire formal
training and expertise in SCD management, QST, assessment of the conceptual and psychometric properties
of PROs, and advanced statistical modeling (risk prediction and prognostic modeling). Her mentoring and
advisory committee includes an outstanding group of experts in psychosocial influencers of chronic pain
(Francis J. Keefe PhD, Duke), QST (Claudia M. Campbell PhD, Johns Hopkins), SCD (Nirmish Shah MD
and Paula Tanabe PhD, Duke; and Wally Smith MD, Virginia Commonwealth University), predictive modeling
(Yi-J...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10904941
- **Project number:** 5K01HL169339-02
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Martha Obeng Kenney
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $135,189
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-15 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10904941

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10904941, Predictors of Pain Severity and Pain-Related Outcomes in Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease (5K01HL169339-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10904941. Licensed CC0.

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