Neuropathic pain in patients with spondyloarthropathy; relationship with clinical activity, quality of life, depression and anxiety

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of diseases that includes various common genetic and clinical features. In this study, we investigated the presence of neuropathic pain component additional to the inflammatory pain in patients with SpA. We also searched the frequency of neuropathic pain in patients with SpA and the relationship between the disease activity, functional status, the quality of life, the depression and anxiety and the neuropathic pain component in patients with SpA, comparing with healthy controls. A total of 128 subjects, 64 from SpA and 64 from the control group, were included in our study and their demographic data were recorded. The Pain Detect Pain Questionnaire (PainDetect), The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Activity Index (BASDAİ), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI), Short Form-36 (SF-36), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Vizuel Analogue Scale (VAS) movement, VAS rest, VAS fatigue, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were applied to the patient group. Only the Pain Detect, the BDI, and BAI scales were used in control group. There was no significant difference between the patient and control groups in terms of age, gender, marital status, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), smoking and alcohol. Neuropathic pain frequency, PainDetect and BDI scores were found to be similar between the two groups. BAI score was found to be higher in the patient group, compared to control group. In the patient group, those having neuropathic pain had higher VAS movement, VAS rest, VAS fatigue, HAQ, BDI, BAI, BASDAI and BASFI scores. On the other hand, lower SF-36 mental and physical component scores were found in patients with neuropathic pain in the patient group. Consequently, the frequency of neuropathic pain in patients with SpA was found to be statistically similar to the control group without a diagnosis of SpA. However, we found more pain, fatigue, higher disease activity, lower functionality, lower quality of life, higher depression and anxiety levels in patients with neuropathic pain component. Keywords: Anxiety, Depression, Disease activity, neuropathic pain, Spondyloarthropathy