Screening tools for neuropathic pain: are they adaptable in different languages and cultures?

Despite being related to a large variety of nerve lesions, neuropathic pain syndromes share common clinical symptoms and signs that are the result of particular mechanisms and necessitate specific management [1]. It therefore makes sense to examine the value of verbal descriptors and pain qualities as a basis for distinguishing neuropathic pain from other types of chronic pain. Pionneer work by Dubuisson and Melzack (1976) and later by Boureau et al. (1990) initially suggested that pain quality descriptors might be discriminatory for neuropathic pain [2,3]. In the last 5 years, extensive research has been undertaken to develop screening tools for this purpose. These tools are all based on verbal pain description with or without limited bedside testing and include: the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) and its self-administered version called the S-LANSS, the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 questions (DN4) questionnaire, the Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire, the ID-Pain and the PainDetect [4].