McGill Pain Questionnaire Short-Form

Hip and knee OA: (Strand, 2008; n=40; mean age = 73.9 (7.8) years) 

• Standard error of measurement indicating absolute agreement was 4.28 on the 0-45 total score. The difference between one subject’s measurement and the true value is, accordingly, expected to be within the limit of 8.4 (1.96 standard error of measurement) of the score.

Hip and knee OA: (Strand, 2008; n=40; mean age = 73.9 (7.8) years) 

• The smallest detectable difference for two repeated measures of the same individual is 11.9 points (2.77 standard error), indicating the limit of change an individual has to exceed to demonstrate change above measurement error.

Hip and knee OA: (Strand, 2008; n=40; mean age = 73.9 (7.8) years) 

• The mean change of these improved patients varied between the groups but was greater than five for the total score in all groups, suggesting a minimally clinically important change.

Hip and knee OA: (Strand, 2008; n=40; mean age = 73.9 (7.8) years) 

• The cut-off value of change was calculated where the sum of the percentages of false positives and false negatives was minimal.

Hip and knee OA: (Strand, 2008; n=40; mean age = 73.9 (7.8) years) 

• Across the painful conditions, all of the estimated normative mean scores were no more than 50% of the maximum score, suggesting that scores may be skewed to the left. Higher affective scores appear to differentiate chronic painful conditions from acute painful conditions.

Hip and knee OA: (Strand, 2008; n=40; mean age = 73.9 (7.8) years) 

• Values for test-retest reliability assessed 1-3 days apart for total, sensory, and affective scores were respectively 0.75, 0.76, and 0.62 in patients with musculoskeletal pain, and 0.93, 0.95, and 0.79 in patients with rheumatic pain. The variability in patients with rheumatic pain was less than in patients with musculoskeletal pain.

Hip and knee OA: (Strand, 2008; n=40; mean age = 73.9 (7.8) years) 

• Short form McGill has been supported to have concurrent validity with the long McGill in patients with postsurgical (r=.77), labor pain (r=.81), musculoskeletal pain (r=.70), and cancer pain (r=.77 to .88)

Hip and knee OA: (Strand, 2008; n=40; mean age = 73.9 (7.8) years) 

Convergent construct validity was demonstrated with moderate to very high correlations between the various pain scales of the NSF-MPQ (0.68 – 0.97), but no correlation between the NSF-MPQ and a disability measure (0.05 – 0.30).

Osteoarthritis: (Grafton, 2005: n = 71; mean age = 64.8 (10.4) years) The SFMPQ was associated with completion problems, and a high number of these errors may reflect poor face validity, but if so, a low response rate would also be expected. This was not the case, as a 92% response rate was achieved in this particular study.

Hip and knee OA: (Strand, 2008; n=40; mean age = 73.9 (7.8) years) 

• All scale scores were found responsive to change showing mostly large SRM values in patients who reported to have improved. The total score was most responsive to improvement within patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal pain while the affective score was the least. 

The NSF-MPQ scores were found to be responsive to clinically important change with large SRM values of >0.80 for most scores.

Scar Pain: Surgical, Breast Cancer: (Truong, 2005: n=59; median age=63 years; median time since surgery=152 days): Acceptable internal consistency: (Cronbach’s alpha=0.72) 

Pain in Older and Younger Cancer Patients: (Gauthier, 2014; n=244; mean age = 57.79 (11.51) years; mean time of cancer duration: 23.5 (11, 49.8) months): no age differences in internal consistency reliability of the subscales of the SF-MPQ (Cronbach alpha = 0.89 and 0.93 for younger and older cancer patient’s, respectively)

Pain in Older and Younger Cancer Patients: (Gauthier, 2014; n=244; mean age = 57.79 (11.51) years; mean time of cancer duration: 23.5 (11, 49.8) months): For the SF_MPQ-2: Convergent validity with the BPI Average Pain Intensity, BPI Pain Interference, CES-D, PMI, Pain Relief, KPS, SF-36 PHC, SF-36 MHC (r=0.67 (young) and 0.55 (old); 0.63 (young) and 0.56 (old); 0.27 (young) and 0.35 (old); -0.32 (young) and -0.13(old); -0.34 (young) and -0.30 (old); -0.25 (young) and -0.29 (old); -0.23 (young) and -0.32 (old); -0.13 (young) and -0.36 (old), respectively). The SF-MPQ-2 has a moderate-to-strong correlation with the BPI average pain. The scale is associated with higher BPI pain interference and CES-D depressive symptoms, lower SF-46 physical health QOL and Pain Relief, and worse KPS functional status. 

Cancer: Dudgeon, 1993; n = 24; mean age = 57.8 (25.0) years; mean time post cancer diagnosis = not provided). All domains of the SF-MPQ correlate very highly, demonstrating convergent construct validity, with the LF-MPQ scores in patients with chronic pain due to cancer. When testing changes over 3-4 weeks, the correlation between the SF-MPQ and the LF-MPQ in the sensory, affective, total score, and compared to the PPI were 0.53, 0.35, 0.59, 0.76 respectively. When testing changes over 6-8 weeks, the correlation in sensory, affective, total score, and compared to the PPI were 0.53, 0.20, 0.61, and 0.62 respectively. The total scores on both the LF-MPQ and the SF-MPQ correlate highly with the VAS. In changes after 3-4 weeks, the LF-MPQ and the VAS had a correlation of 0.52 and the SF-MPQ had a correlation of 0.45 with the VAS. In changes after 6-8 weeks, the LF-MPQ had a correlation of 0.63 and the SF-MPQ had a correlation of 0.39 with the VAS

Diabetes: (Dworkin, 2009; n=226; mean age= 55.6 (10.2); mean time post Diabetes=8.8 (6.6) years, mean time post Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy=2.4 years) Internal consistency reliability is high for the revised Short form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ-2). The ranges from four subscales was from acceptable to high.

Rheumatic: (Strand, 2008; n=25; mean age = 56.0 (16.0) years)

Rheumatic: (Strand, 2008; n=25; mean age = 56.0 (16.0) years)

Rheumatic: (Strand, 2008; n=25; mean age = 56.0 (16.0) years)

Rheumatic: (Strand, 2008; n=25; mean age = 56.0 (16.0) years)

Rheumatic: (Strand, 2008; n=25; mean age = 56.0 (16.0) years)

Rheumatic: (Strand, 2008; n=25; mean age = 56.0 (16.0) years)

Rheumatic: (Strand, 2008; n=25; mean age = 56.0 (16.0) years)

Rheumatic: (Strand, 2008; n=25; mean age = 56.0 (16.0) years)

Arthritis & Rheumatism: (Burckhardt, 1994) Content validity has been described in a study of adult patients with post-operative pain who used exact SF-MPQ sensory or affective words or synonyms during an interview to describe their pain. High correlation between the short form & the original MPQ.

Rheumatic: (Strand, 2008; n=25; mean age = 56.0 (16.0) years)

Chronic Low Back Pain:

(Wright, 2001; n = 188; mean age = 37.89 (11.45) years; mean time post injury = 27.99) One minor exception to Melzack’s model was the finding that item six (gnawing), originally designated as a sensory item, loaded onto the affective factor. This exception aside, these results confirm the factorial validity of the English SF-MPQ 

(Wright, 2001; n = 188; mean age = 37.89 (11.45) years; mean time post injury = 27.99)There are a number of potential explanations for the differences in these results and those of Burckhardt and Bjelle (1994). First, it is possible that differences stemming from Burckhardt and Bjelle's (1994) translation of the SF-MPQ from English to Swedish may have influenced the observed factor structure. It is equally possible that subtile cultural differences may have influenced SF-MPQ adjective selection and, consequently, underlying factor structure. Second, it is possible that the differences in sex distribution of participants used in each study influenced observed results. Finally and perhaps most important (Burckhardt 1994) relied on an EFA approach that had a number of notable procedural shortcomings,whereass (Wright 2001) robust CFA procedures were employed.

Chronic Low Back Pain:

(Wright, 2001; n = 188; mean age = 37.89 (11.45) years; mean time post injury = 27.99) One minor exception to Melzack’s model was the finding that item six (gnawing), originally designated as a sensory item, loaded onto the affective factor. This exception aside, these results confirm the factorial validity of the English SF-MPQ

(Wright, 2001; n = 188; mean age = 37.89 (11.45) years; mean time post injury = 27.99)There are a number of potential explanations for the differences in these results and those of Burckhardt and Bjelle (1994). First, it is possible that differences stemming from Burckhardt and Bjelle's (1994) translation of the SF-MPQ from English to Swedish may have influenced the observed factor structure. It is equally possible that subtile cultural differences may have influenced SF-MPQ adjective selection and, consequently, underlying factor structure. Second, it is possible that the differences in sex distribution of participants used in each study influenced observed results. Finally and perhaps most important (Burckhardt 1994) relied on an EFA approach that had a number of notable procedural shortcomings,whereass (Wright 2001) robust CFA procedures were employed.

Chronic Pain: (Dworkin et al., 2009; n = 882; mean experience of chronic pain >8 years; SF-MPQ-2) 

SF-MPQ-2 Floor and Ceiling Effects:

Musculoskeletal: (Strand, 2008; n=58; mean age = 40.6 (9.8) years)

Musculoskeletal: (Strand, 2008; n=58; mean age = 40.6 (9.8) years)

Musculoskeletal: (Strand, 2008; n=58; mean age = 40.6 (9.8) years)

Musculoskeletal: (Strand, 2008; n=58; mean age = 40.6 (9.8) years)

Musculoskeletal: (Strand, 2008; n=58; mean age = 40.6 (9.8) years)

Musculoskeletal: (Strand, 2008; n=58; mean age = 40.6 (9.8) years)

Musculoskeletal: (Strand, 2008; n=58; mean age = 40.6 (9.8) years)

Musculoskeletal: (Strand, 2008; n=58; mean age = 40.6 (9.8) years)

Musculoskeletal Pain: (Menezes et al., 2011; n = 203; 38% = lower limb conditions, 29% = upper limb conditions, 23% = back pain, 8% = neck pain, and 3% = fibromyalgia; mean age = 42.5 (15.5) years; Brazilian-Portuguese Short Form of the MPQ used) 

No floor or ceiling effects observed for the SF-MPQ (calculated as > 15% highest or lowest possible score)

Musculoskeletal: (Strand, 2008; n=58; mean age = 40.6 (9.8) years)