Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

College of Psychology

First Advisor

Alexandru Cuc

Second Advisor

Efrain Gonzalez

Third Advisor

Barry Nierenberg

Fourth Advisor

Jeffrey Kibler

Keywords

nxiety, Compressive Neuropathy, Neuropathy, Paresthesia, Peripheral Neuropathy, Wellbeing, Psychobiology

Abstract

Purpose: Neuropathic pain has been linked with mental health concerns such as anxiety and wellbeing, but specific symptoms of neuropathic pain have had much less attention than the construct as a whole. Paresthesia, meaning “abnormal sensation” (tingling, numbness, pins and needles, impaired sensation, and itching) is a neuropathic pain symptom. Tissue compression is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy (PN) as well as paresthesia. This study aimed to test the following hypotheses: (1) if paresthesia due to PN is positively correlated with anxiety, negatively correlated with wellbeing, and if (2) anxiety and (3) wellbeing varied significantly by level of paresthesia. Methods: Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from the general population with varying mental and physical health (n = 100). Through the use of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Ryff Scales of Psychological Wellbeing (RSPW), the painDETECT Questionnaire (PDQ), the Self-administered Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs Pain Score (S-LANSS), and the Assessment of Neural Compression and Tension (ANCAT), symptoms of anxiety, wellbeing, and paresthesia were assessed. Results: Study findings suggest that paresthesia is positively correlated with anxiety and negatively correlated with wellbeing when controlling for subjective musculoskeletal pain. When controlling for all subjective pain items (both neuropathic and x musculoskeletal) partial correlations indicate that the S-LANSS and painDETECT are not significantly correlated with paresthesia while the ANCAT is (r = 0.279, p = 0.006). Furthermore, individuals who endorsed paresthesia symptoms that appear intermittently had higher levels of anxiety than those without paresthesia symptoms. Lastly, individuals who endorsed paresthesia symptoms had lower wellbeing than individuals without paresthesia symptoms. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence in this study suggests paresthesia may be positively correlated with anxiety and negatively correlated with wellbeing, and that these relationships are moderated by both subjective musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain. Additionally, subjective neuropathic pain appears to moderate the relationship between paresthesia and mental health outcomes. Moreover, the specificity of paresthesia measures seems to increase sensitivity to the construct and thus increases detection of the relationship between paresthesia, anxiety, and wellbeing. This study highlights the importance of further understanding paresthesia as a critical and separate construct for research in the field of neuropathic pain, especially as it relates to mental health.

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