Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37060071›Full record

ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2023

The role of co-occurring insomnia and mental distress in the association between lumbar disc degeneration and low back pain related disability.

Teija Mertimo, Eveliina Heikkala, Jaakko Niinimäki, Roberto Blanco Sequeiros, Juhani Määttä, Markku Kankaanpää, Petteri Oura, Jaro Karppinen

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Teija MertimoFaculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University Hospital and University of Tampere, P.O. Box 607, Tampere, FI-33014, Finland. teija.mertimo@gmail.com.
Eveliina HeikkalaResearch Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FI- 90014, Finland.
Jaakko NiinimäkiMedical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland.
Roberto Blanco SequeirosResearch Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland.
Juhani MäättäMedical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland.
Markku KankaanpääDepartment of Rehabilitation and Psychosocial Support, Tampere University Hospital, P.O. Box 2000, Tampere, FI-33521, Finland.
Petteri OuraMedical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland.
Jaro KarppinenMedical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland.
Oulu University Hospital · FIUniversity of Oulu · FIOulu University of Applied Sciences · FISouth Karelia Central Hospital · FITampere University · FI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLumbar disc degeneration (LDD) is associated with low back pain (LBP). Although both insomnia and mental distress appear to influence the pain experience, their role in the association between LDD and LBP is uncertain. Our objective was to investigate the role of co-occurring insomnia and mental distress in the association between LDD and LBP-related disability.

methodsA total of 1080 individuals who had experienced LBP during the previous year underwent 1.5-T lumbar magnetic resonance imaging, responded to questionnaires, and participated in a clinical examination at the age of 47. Full data was available for 843 individuals. The presence of LBP and LBP-related disability (numerical rating scale, range 0-10) were assessed using a questionnaire. LDD was assessed by a Pfirrmann-based sum score (range 0-15, higher values indicating higher LDD). The role of insomnia (according to the five-item Athens Insomnia Scale) and mental distress (according to the Hopkins Symptom Check List-25) in the association between the LDD sum score and LBP-related disability was analyzed using linear regression with adjustments for sex, smoking, body mass index, education, leisure-time physical activity, occupational physical exposure, Modic changes, and disc herniations.

resultsA positive association between LDD and LBP-related disability was observed among those with absence of both mental distress and insomnia (adjusted B = 0.132, 95% CI = 0.028-0.236, p = 0.013), and among those with either isolated mental distress (B = 0.345 CI = 0.039-0.650, p = 0.028) or isolated insomnia (B = 0.207, CI = 0.040-0.373, p = 0.015). However, among individuals with co-occurring insomnia and mental distress, the association was not significant (B = -0.093, CI = -0.346-0.161, p = 0.470).

conclusionsLDD does not associate with LBP-related disability when insomnia and mental distress co-occur. This finding may be useful when planning treatment and rehabilitation that aim to reduce disability among individuals with LDD and LBP. Future prospective research is warranted.

Indexed as

Intervertebral Disc DegenerationIntervertebral Disc DisplacementLow Back PainSleep Initiation and Maintenance DisordersHumansLumbar VertebraeLumbosacral RegionMagnetic Resonance ImagingFinlandInsomniaLow back painLumbar disc degenerationMagnetic resonance imagingMental distressNorthern Finland Birth Cohort 1966Pain-related disabilityPrevalence

Identifiers

PMID37060071
PMCPMC10103434
OpenAlexW4365514933

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.