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Ethical Perspective

A practical guide and perspectives on the use of experimental pain modalities with children and adolescents

    Kathryn A Birnie

    * Author for correspondence

    Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.

    ,
    Line Caes

    Centre for Pediatric Pain Research (West), K8536 (8th floor, Children’s site), Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre, 5850/5980 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 6R8, Canada

    ,
    Anna C Wilson

    Department of Pediatrics, Institute on Development & Disability, Oregon Health & Science University, OR, USA

    ,
    Sara E Williams

    Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center & Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH, USA

    &
    Christine T Chambers

    Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada

    Centre for Pediatric Pain Research (West), K8536 (8th floor, Children’s site), Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre, 5850/5980 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 6R8, Canada

    Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada

    Published Online:https://doi.org/10.2217/pmt.13.72

    SUMMARY Use of experimental pain is vital for addressing research questions that would otherwise be impossible to examine in the real world. Experimental induction of pain in children is highly scrutinized given the potential for harm and lack of direct benefit to a vulnerable population. However, its use has critically advanced our understanding of the mechanisms, assessment and treatment of pain in both healthy and chronically ill children. This article introduces various experimental pain modalities, including the cold pressor task, the water load symptom provocation test, thermal pain, pressure pain and conditioned pain modulation, and discusses their application for use with children and adolescents. It addresses practical implementation and ethical issues, as well as the advantages and disadvantages offered by each task. The incredible potential for future research is discussed given the array of experimental pain modalities now available to pediatric researchers.

    Papers of special note have been highlighted as: ▪ of interest ▪▪ of considerable interest

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