Announcing a new study of pain and fatigue in adults with Multiple Sclerosis and spinal cord injury.

PURPOSE

Pain and fatigue are the most common symptoms reported by people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injury (SCI). They interfere with employment, enjoyment of life and participation in important activities. Both symptoms can be treated with a variety of approaches, but we have a long way to go before we can say with confidence that pain and fatigue can be effectively treated.

It may be surprising to you, but Rehabilitation professionals don't know much about who is likely to develop pain, to respond to medications, and what to expect in the long term when a person develops pain and/or fatigue. The most fundamental requirement for increasing our knowledge and developing effective treatments is availability of reliable, sensitive, and meaningful ways of measuring pain and fatigue, and their effects on day-to-day functioning. New statistical methods have become available that make constructing better scales much easier. We would like to utilize these new methods to improve measurement of pain and fatigue in people with MS and SCI.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

If you decide to participate in this study, we will ask you to fill out a survey that we will mail to you. This survey will ask you about your experience with pain, fatigue, sleep, participation in daily activities, your social support, and general mood and outlook. The survey will also ask for some basic demographic information, such as your age, gender, and education. The survey will take about one and a half hours to complete. You will then mail the completed survey back to us. Once we have received your completed survey, you will receive a check for $25 for your time and effort.

Participating in this research is completely voluntary. You may decide not to participate in this study, and you may withdraw from the study at any time. Your decision to withdraw will not affect your health care in any way. There are no penalties or loss of benefits if you choose not to take part in the study or if you decide to withdraw early.

PARTICIPATE

If you would like to participate, please contact project staff at:

University of Washington Center for Outcomes Research Rehabilitation
206-221-2414 or 1-800-504-0564
uwcorr@u.washington.edu *