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Scheduled SurgeryPSQ-FNCT03113903

Validation of the French Version of the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire

A study testing Psychophysical exploration in people with Scheduled Surgery and Healthy Volunteers, run by University Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand at 1 site in France.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) is a tool created in 2009 by Dr. R. Ruscheweyh in Germany. It aims at identifying the natural sensitivity to pain, through a set of 17 simple questions. These questions simulate daily life situations likely to induce pain of various intensities. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Scheduled Surgery, Healthy Volunteers
What is being tested?
Psychophysical exploration
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
232 participants
Where
1 siteFrance
Study dates
30 Apr 2017to 23 Jan 2018
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • patients aged 18 to 65, currently French-speaking and able to answer questionnaires, undergoing a pre-anesthetic mandatory visit, either for scheduled surgery, or as a follow-up of pregnancy
  • healthy volunteers aged 18 to 60, currently French-speaking and able to answer questionnaires, BMI 19 to 30 kg/m2, free from any medication since 7 days before each study session, covered by the French welfare health system. Exclusion criteria are : risk of pregnancy, any medical history or condition likely to impair participation or quality of outcome measurement, any ongoing relevant disease, any cutaneous lesion at nondominant forearm, any ocular, neurological or acoustic contra-indication to the tests, spontaneous tinnitus or disease with hyperacusia, anxiety or depression with score >11 on HAD, addiction to drugs or alcohol abuse, inclusion in a concomitant trial, French legal protection

Who cannot join

  • -

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

France1 site
  • CHU Clermont-Ferrand

    Clermont-Ferrand, 63003

Other trials in France

About this study

The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) is a tool created in 2009 by Dr. R. Ruscheweyh in Germany. It aims at identifying the natural sensitivity to pain, through a set of 17 simple questions. These questions simulate daily life situations likely to induce pain of various intensities. The internal validity of the tool had been demonstrated both for the original version in German, and then for its English version. The external validity had also been demonstrated by correlation to real nociceptive stimulations applied to healthy volunteers (German version), and to patients before surgery (English version). A French validation of the questionnaire is needed, in order to integrate it in pain research programs in French-speaking countries.

Read the detailed description

The aim is to validate the French version of the PSQ in a 2-step plan : (i) validity of internal structure, convergent validity and reproducibility, in a sample of patients before scheduled surgery, and (ii) structure and convergent validity against external criterion, in healthy volunteers. A secondary objective is to study the relationship of scores of the PSQ with a scale assessing sensitivity to natural smells, noise and light sensitivity.

Being tested
Psychophysical exploration
Keywords
Pain, psychophysics, Nociception, Sensitivity, Senses, Phenotyping, Questionnaire, Anxiety, Depression, Catastrophizing
Medical subject headings
Pain, Hypersensitivity, Anxiety Disorders, Depression

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Psychophysical explorationBehavioural

    Psychophysical exploration (multimodal sensitivity, including pain sensitivity) Electronic von Frey applied on forearm; thermal heat applied on forearm; foot immersion in 2°C cold water; exposure to a one-frequency noise up to uncomfortable loudness ; exposure to a halogen-lamp-generated light up to uncomfortable brightness.

Study groups in NCT03113903
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
scheduled surgeryExperimentalNot described
Receives: Behavioral: Psychophysical exploration
healthy volunteersOtherNot described
Receives: Behavioral: Psychophysical exploration

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. The psychometric properties of the French version of the PSQ

    (acceptability, internal validity, reproducibility, convergent validity and validity of structure against external criteria)

    Measured: at day 1

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. The natural smell sensitivity assessed independently by a home-made questionnaire

    one measurement point

    Measured: at day 1

  2. The natural noise sensitivity assessed independently by a home-made questionnaire

    one measurement point

    Measured: at day 1

  3. The natural light sensitivity, assessed independently by a home-made questionnaire

    one measurement point

    Measured: at day 1

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted14 Apr 2017
  2. Study start30 Apr 2017
  3. Primary completion23 Jan 2018
  4. Study completion23 Jan 2018

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
232 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03113903
Sponsor's protocol ID
CHU-311
Other IDs
2016-A02079-42
Acronym
PSQ-F
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
20 Mar 2017
Last updated
3 Aug 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Duale C, Bauer U, Storme B, Eljezi V, Ruscheweyh R, Eschalier S, Dubray C, Guiguet-Auclair C. Transcultural adaptation and French validation of the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire. Can J Anaesth. 2019 Oct;66(10):1202-1212. doi: 10.1007/s12630-019-01377-w. Epub 2019 Apr 24.

    PubMed 31020630
  • Duale C, Leray V, Giron F, Boulliau S, Macian N, Ruscheweyh R, Dubray C, Giraudet F. The Added Value of Sensitivity to Nonnoxious Stimuli to Predict an Individual's Sensitivity to Pain. Pain Physician. 2021 Sep;24(6):E783-E794.

    PubMed 34554698

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Psychophysical exploration in people with Scheduled Surgery and Healthy Volunteers, run by University Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand at 1 site in France.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

The psychometric properties of the French version of the PSQ (time frame: at day 1). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03113903, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Aug 2026.

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