Effects of Central Sensitivity Syndrome and Psychological Factors on the Clinical Features of Patients with Cervical Degenerative Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

STUDY DESIGN: Single-center cross-sectional study. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to clarify the effects of central sensitivity syndrome (CSS) and psychological factors on the clinical features in patients with cervical degenerative disease (CDD). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The presence of CSS and psychological factors can influence the clinical features of patients with musculoskeletal disorders including CDD. However, the precise effects of CSS are unclear. METHODS: Patients admitted for surgical treatment of CDD were recruited. The following patient-reported outcome measures were recorded on the day before the surgery: the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for neck pain intensity, Neck Disability Index (NDI), EuroQol 5-Dimensions (EQ-5D) survey, Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used. We performed three multiple regression analyses to investigate the effects of CSS and psychological factors on the clinical features. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis revealed that CSI had a significant effect on NRS (β, 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29 to 0.71), NDI (β, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.82), and EQ-5D (β, −0.55; 95% CI, −0.75 to −0.35). Multiple regression analysis revealed that psychological factors did not exert a significant effect on the clinical features. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that CSI was able to identify the clinical features in CDD patients, suggesting that CSS does affect the clinical features of such patients.