Background and Aims: 
Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) provides a current measure of nociceptive response. Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) reflects a trait-like cognitive representations of previous or expected pain experiences. The role of these measures in determining pain variability in acute situations is not well-explored.
Study aim - to determine the additive role of PSQ in expressing headache at very-early acute post-injury stage above using QST alone.  
Methods:
Patients post-MVC with an mTBI (n=133) were recruited. 
Head pain, neck pain, number of painful body areas; static and dynamic QST measures, and pain-related psychological questionnaires compiled within 72h post-accident. 
Correlation analysis performed to determine relationship between PSQ and: 1) state personality measures 2) clinical and experimental pain. 
Linear Regression Models built to examine factors contributing to the headache variance. Partial correlation analysis provided influence of each predictor on headache intensity.
Results: 
PSQ and psychological measures (catastrophizing, depression and stress); clinical pain and psychophysical measures were correlated. 
Regression model (R-squared=.160, p<0.001) showed high PSQ, enhanced mechanical TS and less efficient PPT-CPM explain elevated reports of headache. State features were not significantly correlated. Partial analysis showed strongest contribution provided by PSQ (partial R=.235), PPT-CPM (-.223), mTS (.199). Neck pain model (R-squared .176, p=0.072) not significant.
Conclusions:
Appraisal of cognitive pain representations and imagined daily-life pain situations provides an additional trait-like facet to explain the variability in the clinical pain experience above and beyond assessing nociceptive responsiveness to experimentally-induced pain. Head and neck pain seem to have different cognitive representations. 
Acknowledgment:
Supported by US Department of Defense, Health Affairs Office, No. W81XWH-15-1-0603

ADDITIVE UTILITY OF PAIN SENSITIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE IN EXPLAINING VERY EARLY ACUTE MTBI POST-MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION CLINICAL HEAD PAIN VARIABLITY