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Neuropathic PainNCT06990243

Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the SCIPI

An observational study of Neuropathic Pain and Spinal Cord Injury, run by Istinye University.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Official record
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Trial summary

Pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) is common, with the majority of individuals experiencing chronic pain and a significant portion reporting severe pain that interferes with their daily lives. Pain due to SCI is divided into two main groups: nociceptive and neuropathic. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 70 years
Conditions the study is for
Neuropathic Pain, Spinal Cord Injury
What is being tested?
Evaluation Group
How many people
40 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
28 May 2025to 28 Jul 2025
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 70 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Individuals with spinal cord injuries

Who may be able to join

  • Having any level of SCI
  • Being 18-70 years old
  • Being at least one month since the SCI
  • Being inpatient rehabilitation or living in the community

Who cannot join

  • Having major depression
  • Having suicidal intent or plans
  • Being currently addicted to alcohol or drugs
  • Not taking stable doses of psychoactive medications

About this study

Official title: Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the Spinal Cord Injury Pain Instrument

Pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) is common, with the majority of individuals experiencing chronic pain and a significant portion reporting severe pain that interferes with their daily lives. Pain due to SCI is divided into two main groups: nociceptive and neuropathic. Clinical expertise is required for the accurate classification of these types of pain. Existing screening tools are generally evaluated with heterogeneous samples and therefore have limited accuracy in individuals with SCI. To address this deficiency, the Spinal Cord Injury Pain Instrument (SCIPI) was developed to define neuropathic pain in a manner specific to SCI. The SCIPI consists of seven items that assess the characteristics of pain and triggering factors. Although this scale, developed in English, has been translated into different languages, there is no Turkish version. This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the SCIPI.

Read the detailed description

Pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common problem. Approximately 80% of individuals with SCI experience chronic pain, while one-third experience pain severe enough to interfere with their daily lives. Pain in individuals with SCI is divided into two main categories: nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain. Nociceptive pain is defined as pain that occurs when sensory receptors in peripheral nerves detect and encode noxious stimuli, while neuropathic pain is defined as pain that occurs as a result of a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. The classification of pain types is made both by the spinal cord injury pain classification developed by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) and its successors. However, clinical expertise is required to apply these classifications correctly. For this reason, various screening tools have been developed over the years to more easily distinguish between neuropathic pain and non-neuropathic pain. These tools are usually based on a combination of physical examination findings and self-report or on self-report alone. However, existing tools have generally been evaluated with samples with heterogeneous etiologies and have been found to have lower accuracy rates in individuals with spinal cord injury.

In response to the need for a screening tool that is both sensitive and specific to distinguish neuropathic pain in individuals with SCI, the Spinal Cord Injury Pain Scale (SCIAS) was developed. This tool consists of seven features developed in light of clinical experience and literature analysis to distinguish neuropathic pain. These features include pain descriptions, pain triggered by dynamic touch, factors that increase and decrease pain, timing of pain, and pain felt in sensitive areas. Although the SCIAS has similar features to other pain screening tools, it has the potential to better distinguish the specific nature of pain associated with SCI.

The SCIAS, which was developed in English, has been translated into Chinese, French, and Portuguese. A Turkish version is needed. This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the SCIAS.

Being tested
Evaluation Group
Keywords
Neuropathic pain, Psychometric properties, Spinal cord injury pain instrument
Medical subject headings
Neuralgia, Spinal Cord Injuries

What participants receive

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

  • Evaluation GroupOther

    An evaluation form will record the participants' socio-demographic characteristics and information about their disease/treatment. Consciousness and cognitive tests will be performed. Then, pain will be assessed with the Visual Analog Scale, 4-Question Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire,, and the Spinal Cord Injury Pain Instrument (SCIPI).

What is being measured

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

  1. The Spinal Cord Injury Pain Instrument (SCIPI)

    SCIPI was developed by Dr. Martin B. Forchheimer et al. to screen for neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury. It is an interview-based assessment tool designed to screen for neuropathic pain in individuals with SCI. SCIPI defines the pain characteristics of individuals and performs comparative analyses with clinical diagnoses. The validity and reliability properties of SCIPI were evaluated in a preliminary validation study. In this study, the following findings were obtained as a result of comparing the SCIPI with clinical diagnoses: sensitivity: 78%, specificity: 73%, and overall diagnostic accuracy: 76%. It shows that SCIPI is a reliable tool for screening neuropathic pain in individuals with spinal cord injury.

    Measured: 1 week

  2. DN4 Questionnaire

    DN4 is a questionnaire developed as a diagnostic tool that can be helpful both in daily practice and in clinical studies. It consists of 4 questions and a total of 10 items, including questions related to sensory complaints and bedside sensory examination findings, applied by the clinician. The first 2 questions are answered according to the patient's complaints, and the last 2 questions are answered according to the examination. The answers to the questions have 2 options as yes and no. Each positive item is given 1 point, and each negative item is given 0 points. The total score is calculated as the sum of 10 items, and the threshold value for neuropathic pain is determined as 4 points.

    Measured: 1 week

  3. Visual Analog Scale

    It is the most commonly used parameter to measure pain intensity. It is a self-reported scale consisting of a horizontal or vertical line, usually 10 cm long, with two verbal descriptors indicating the pain level fixed at the end points. The patient is asked to mark the point that best expresses their pain. The VAS value is obtained by considering the cm equivalent of the point they mark. '0' means no pain, '10' means unbearable pain.

    Measured: 1 week

Timeline

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

  1. First posted25 May 2025
  2. Study start28 May 2025 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion28 Jun 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completion28 Jul 2025 (estimated)

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrolment
40 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06990243
Sponsor's protocol ID
15
Status last verified
May 2025
First submitted
19 Apr 2025
Last updated
25 May 2025
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Tutuneken YE, Elbasi ND. Cross-cultural adaptation, validation, and reliability of the Turkish version of the spinal cord injury Pain Instrument. J Spinal Cord Med. 2026 Jul 13:1-8. doi: 10.1080/10790268.2026.2687278. Online ahead of print.

    PubMed 42440306

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Neuropathic Pain and Spinal Cord Injury, run by Istinye University.

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 4 inclusion and 4 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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 Spinal Cord Injury Pain Instrument (SCIPI) (time frame: 1 week). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT06990243, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 25 May 2025.

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