Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37380025›Full record

ArticleThe journal of pain2023

Sensory Profiling in Classical Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Case-Control Study Revealing Pain Characteristics, Somatosensory Changes, and Impaired Pain Modulation.

Marlies Colman, Delfien Syx, Inge De Wandele, Lies Rombaut, Deborah Wille, Zoë Malfait, Mira Meeus, Anne-Marie Malfait, Jessica Van Oosterwijck, Fransiska Malfait

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In one paragraph

Article in The journal of pain, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 25% 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Central Sensitivity Symptoms and Autistic Traits in Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2025
    Article
  4. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Marlies ColmanCenter for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium; Pain in Motion International Research Consortium, Belgium.
Delfien SyxCenter for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium.
Inge De WandeleDepartment of Biomolecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium.
Lies RombautDepartment of Biomolecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium.
Deborah WilleDepartment of Biomolecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium.
Zoë MalfaitDepartment of Biomolecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium.
Mira MeeusPain in Motion International Research Consortium, Belgium; Spine, Head and Pain Research Unit Ghent, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium.
Anne-Marie MalfaitDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
Jessica Van OosterwijckPain in Motion International Research Consortium, Belgium; Spine, Head and Pain Research Unit Ghent, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium.
Fransiska MalfaitCenter for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium.
Ghent University · BEGhent University Hospital · BERush University Medical Center · US

Funding

Neurobiology Core CP30AR079206 · NIAMS · RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI Anne-Marie Malfait · 2021 to 2026
$4.7M
NIAMS NIH HHS P30 AR079206
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Pain is one of the most important yet poorly understood complaints in heritable connective tissue disorders (HCTDs) caused by monogenic defects in extracellular matrix molecules. This is particularly the case for the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), paradigm collagen-related disorders. This study aimed to identify the pain signature and somatosensory characteristics in the rare classical type of EDS (cEDS) caused by defects in type V or rarely type I collagen. We used static and dynamic quantitative sensory testing and validated questionnaires in 19 individuals with cEDS and 19 matched controls. Individuals with cEDS reported clinically relevant pain/discomfort (Visual Analogue Scale ≥5/10 in 32% for average pain intensity the past month) and worse health-related quality of life. An altered somatosensory profile was found in the cEDS group with higher (P = .04) detection thresholds for vibration stimuli at the lower limb, indicating hypoesthesia, reduced thermal sensitivity with more (P < .001) paradoxical thermal sensations (PTSs), and hyperalgesia with lower pain thresholds to mechanical (P < .001) stimuli at both the upper and lower limbs and cold (P = .005) stimulation at the lower limb. Using a parallel conditioned pain modulation paradigm, the cEDS group showed significantly smaller antinociceptive responses (P-value .005-.046) suggestive of impaired endogenous pain modulation. In conclusion, individuals with cEDS report chronic pain and worse health-related quality of life and present altered somatosensory perception. This study is the first to systematically investigate pain and somatosensory characteristics in a genetically defined HCTD and provides interesting insights into the possible role of the ECM in the development and persistence of pain. PERSPECTIVE: Chronic pain compromises the quality of life in individuals with cEDS. Moreover, an altered somatosensory perception was found in the cEDS group with hypoesthesia for vibration stimuli, more PTSs, hyperalgesia for pressure stimuli, and impaired pain modulation.

Indexed as

Chronic PainEhlers-Danlos SyndromeCase-Control StudiesHumansHyperalgesiaHypesthesiaQuality of LifeCollagen-related disordersConditioned pain modulationEhlers-Danlos syndromeQuantitative sensory testing

Identifiers

PMID37380025
OpenAlexW4382051560

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.