James H Mcauley

Neuroscience Research Australia · McAuley Group

Objective To evaluate the comparative effectiveness and safety of analgesic medicines for acute non-specific low back pain. Design Systematic review and network meta-analysis. Data sources Medline, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, clinicialtrialsregister.eu, and World Health Organization’s International Clinical Trials Registr...

Objectives: To investigate whether and to what extent, return to work (RTW) expectancy and workability mediate the effect of two vocational interventions on reducing sickness absence in workers on sick leave from a musculoskeletal condition. Methods: This is a preplanned mediation analysis of a three-arm parallel randomised controlled trial whic...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether cognitive functional therapy (CFT) is an effective treatment for adults with chronic low back pain (LBP) DESIGN: Intervention systematic review with meta-analysis. LITERATURE SEARCH: CENTRAL, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, clinicaltrials.gov, EU clinical trials register (to March 2022). STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised...

Objectives: This study explored the relationship between sleep quality and next-day pain intensity for people with low back pain and investigated whether there was any evidence that this relationship was causal. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of an observational study that investigated sleep quality in people with low back pain. Peop...

Objectives To evaluate (1) the feasibility of an audit-feedback intervention to facilitate sports science journal policy change, (2) the reliability of the Transparency of Research Underpinning Social Intervention Tiers (TRUST) policy evaluation form, and (3) the extent to which policies of sports science journals support transparent and open resea...

Background: The first-line treatment consistently recommended for people with low back pain is patient education and advice. Regardless of the duration of low back pain, clinicians should provide education on the benign nature of low back pain, reassurance about the absence of a serious medical condition, and advice to remain active. There is litt...

A new wave of treatments has emerged to target the altered nervous system and maladaptive conceptualizations about pain for chronic low back pain. The acceptability of these treatments is still uncertain. We conducted a qualitative study alongside a randomized controlled trial to identify perceptions of facilitators/barriers to participation in a n...

Introduction: Low back pain contributes to an increasing global health burden exacerbated by unsustained improvements from current treatments. There is a need to develop, and test interventions to maintain initial improvements from low back pain treatments. One option is to implement a booster intervention. This study aimed to develop and test the...

Introduction Chronic pain, defined as pain persisting longer than 3 months, is more than an unpleasant sensory experience. Persistent negative emotions and emotional comorbidities, such as depression and anxiety, plague people with chronic pain leading to worsening pain intensity and increasing disability. While cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT)...

Objective: Meta-analyses of analgesic medicines for low back pain often rescale measures of pain intensity to use mean difference (MD) instead of standardised mean difference for pooled estimates. Although this improves clinical interpretability, it is not clear whether this method is justified. Our study evaluated the justification for this metho...

Chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNSLBP) is a complex and multifaceted problem. The following Perspective Piece tries to help make sense of this complexity by describing a model for the development and maintenance of persistent low back pain that integrates modifiable factors across the biopsychosocial spectrum. The Fit-for-Purpose model (FFPM) p...

Background Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a disabling pain disorder that is most common after a distal limb fracture. While the acute systemic immune response to the injury is thought to play a role in the development of CRPS, this hypothesis has never been tested directly. Thus, we evaluated whether elevated levels of circulating pro-inf...

Background Chronic pain is prevalent amongst society, making it necessary to find strategies to manage chronic pain. Regular exercise is efficacious; however, pain is a barrier to initiating exercise. A single exercise session is also believed to acutely reduce pain, however, the evidence is less robust. Objectives This systematic review and meta-...

BACKGROUND Emotion dysregulation is key to the development and maintenance of chronic pain, feeding into a cycle of worsening pain and disability. Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), an approach which targets emotional processes through skills training to induce effective emotion regulation, could help people manage and mitigate the emotional an...

Importance: The effects of altered neural processing, defined as altering neural networks responsible for perceptions of pain and function, on chronic pain remains unclear. Objective: To estimate the effect of a graded sensorimotor retraining intervention (RESOLVE) on pain intensity in people with chronic low back pain. Design, setting, and par...

Randomized clinical trials attempt to reduce bias and create similar groups at baseline to infer causal effects. In meta-analyses, baseline imbalance may threaten the validity of the treatment effects. This meta-epidemiological study examined baseline imbalance in comparisons of exercise and antihypertensive medicines. Baseline data for systolic bl...

Introduction Social media provide promising contemporary platforms for sharing public health information with a broad audience. Before implementation, testing social media campaigns that are intended to engage audiences and initiate behaviour change is necessary. This trial aims to investigate the effectiveness of a public health campaign to increa...

Well-conducted mediation analyses have the potential to move implementation science forward by better understanding how or why implementation strategies cause their effects on outcomes. The AGReMA statement provides authors with recommendations for reporting primary and secondary mediation analyses of randomized trials and observational studies. Im...

Predicting the development of chronic low back pain (LBP) at the time of an acute episode remains challenging. The Understanding persistent Pain Where it ResiDes (UPWaRD) study aimed to identify neurobiological and psychological risk factors for chronic LBP. Individuals with acute LBP (N=120) participated in a prospective cohort study with six-mont...

Synopsis: Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), imposing substantial burden on individuals and health systems. The societal burden of LBP in LMICs challenges the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals of eliminating poverty and improving health and well-being by pushing the p...

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Objective To determine how well exercise interventions are reported in trials in health and disease. Design Overview of systematic reviews. Data sources PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus and PsycINFO from inception until June 2021. Eligibility criteria Reviews of any health condition were included if they primarily assessed quality of exercise...

Background Depressive symptoms are often comorbid to chronic pain. These conditions share aberrant emotion processing and regulation, as well as common brain networks. However, the relationship between depressive symptoms and chronic pain on emotional brain function is unclear. Methods Participants were 26 individuals with chronic pain (referred t...

Mediation analysis is a common statistical method used to investigate mechanisms of health exposure and interventions. The reporting quality of mediation studies used in randomised controlled trials has been considered heterogeneous and incomplete. The reporting quality of mediation analysis in observational studies is unknown. We conducted a syste...

Introduction Clinician time and resources may be underutilised if the treatment they offer does not match patient expectations and attitudes. We developed a questionnaire (AxEL-Q) to guide clinicians toward elements of first-line care that are pertinent to their patients with low back pain. Methods We used guidance from the COSMIN consortium to de...

Background Despite chronic low back pain (LBP) being considered a biopsychosocial condition for diagnosis and management, few studies have investigated neurophysiological or neurobiological risk factors thought to underpin the transition from acute to chronic LBP. The aim of this cohort profile is to describe the methodology, compare baseline chara...

Electroencephalographic (EEG) neurofeedback has been utilised to regulate abnormal brain activity associated with chronic pain. In this systematic review, we synthesised the evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effect of EEG neurofeedback on chronic pain using random effects meta-analyses. Additionally, we performed a n...

This observational study evaluated people's attitudes towards educational statements and tested whether this predicted intention to self-manage low back pain (LBP).People with or without LBP who were over 18-years of age and fluent in written English were recruited. Participants completed an online survey asking demographic questions and questions...

Objectives This meta-analysis aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of medicines that target neurotrophic factors for low back pain (LBP) or sciatica. Methods We searched published and trial registry reports of randomised controlled trials evaluating the effect of medicines that target neurotrophic factors to LBP or sciatica in seven databas...

Introduction: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is pain that has persisted for greater than three months. It is common and burdensome and represents a significant proportion of primary health presentations. For the majority of people with CLBP, a specific nociceptive contributor cannot be reliably identified, and the pain is categorised as 'non-specifi...

Emotion dysregulation frequently co-occurs with chronic pain, which in turn leads to heightened emotional and physical suffering. This cycle of association has prompted a recommendation for psychological treatment of chronic pain to target mechanisms for emotion regulation. The current trial addressed this need by investigating a new internet-deliv...

Results on gray matter alterations in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) showed heterogeneous findings. Since CRPS is a rare disease, most studies included only small and heterogeneous samples resulting in a low reliability of findings between studies. We investigated 24 CRPS patients with right upper limb affection in the chronic stage of disea...

Importance Mediation analyses of randomized trials and observational studies can generate evidence about the mechanisms by which interventions and exposures may influence health outcomes. Publications of mediation analyses are increasing, but the quality of their reporting is suboptimal. Objective To develop international, consensus-based guidance...

Background and Aims This cross-sectional study evaluated the nature of pain curriculum being taught in accredited exercise physiology degrees across Australian universities and its perceived usefulness for preparing exercise physiologists to treat people with chronic pain. Materials & Methods Universities and graduates were asked about the nature...

Determining the mechanistic causes of complex biopsychosocial health conditions such as low back pain (LBP) is challenging, and research is scarce. Cross-sectional studies demonstrate altered excitability and organization of the somatosensory and motor cortex in people with acute and chronic LBP, however, no study has explored these mechanisms long...

Patient education is recommended as first-line care for low back pain (LBP), although its efficacy for providing clinically meaningful reductions in disability has been questioned. One way to improve treatment effects is to identify and improve targeting of treatment mechanisms. We conducted a pre-planned causal mediation analysis of a randomized,...

Predicting the development of chronic low back pain (LBP) at the time of an acute episode remains challenging. The Understanding persistent Pain Where it ResiDes (UPWaRD) study aimed to identify neurobiological and psychological risk factors for chronic LBP. Individuals with acute LBP (N=120) participated in a prospective cohort study with six-mont...

Background: Growing evidence indicates a link between changes in the medial prefrontal cortex and the pathophysiology of chronic pain. In particular, chronic pain is associated with altered medial prefrontal anatomy and biochemistry. Due to the comorbid affective disorders seen across all pain conditions, the medial prefrontal cortex is a region o...

Objective To investigate the efficacy, acceptability, and safety of muscle relaxants for low back pain. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Data sources Medline, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, clinicialtrialsregister.eu, and WHO ICTRP from inception to 23 February 2021. Eligibility criteria f...

Background Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a global health problem associated with an increasing burden on individuals, health care systems, and society. Common treatments for people with CLBP produce, on average, small short-term improvements in pain and function compared with minimal care. The RESOLVE trial randomly allocated 276 people with CLBP...

Question Does feeling reassured after a consultation reduce future disability or healthcare use in people with acute low back pain (LBP)? Design Mediation analysis of a randomised, sham-controlled trial. Participants Two hundred and two people with acute LBP at above average risk (high risk) of developing chronic LBP. Intervention All participan...

Objectives: It has been hypothesised that attentional bias to environmental threats can contribute to persistent pain. It is unclear whether people with acute low back pain (LBP) have an attentional bias to environmental threats. We investigated if attentional bias of threat related words is different in people with acute LBP and pain-free control...

OBJECTIVE Low back pain is the leading contributor to the global disability burden. The Global Spine Care Initiative(GSCI) recommend patient-centred care to stem the cost of low back pain. One way to enhance patient-centred care is by better understanding what is relevant for people with low back pain. Exploring social media posts about low back pa...

Background Pain catastrophizing underpins several psychosocial theories of pain, but there is limited evidence to support the proposal that changes in pain catastrophizing cause changes in pain. Results from mediation analyses have conflicting results, and one reason for these might be the timing of the assessment of pain catastrophizing. This stud...

Background Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) are used extensively to quantify cortical activity in response to noxious and/or non-noxious sensory stimuli. However, data demonstrating the reliability of SEP measures in response to non-noxious stimulation over time are scarce. Aim We investigated the relative and absolute reliability, and the s...

Background Antidepressant medicines are used to manage symptoms of low back pain. The efficacy, acceptability, and safety of antidepressant medicines for low back pain (LBP) are not clear. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy, acceptability, and safety of antidepressant medicines for LBP. Methods We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Clinical...

BACKGROUND: Determining the mechanistic causes of complex biopsychosocial health conditions such as low back pain (LBP) is challenging, and research is scarce. Cross-sectional studies demonstrate altered excitability and organisation of the primary somatosensory and primary motor cortex in people with acute and chronic LBP, however, no study has ex...

Background Exercise is recommended for the management of chronic low back pain (CLBP). Trialists have proposed numerous mechanisms to explain why exercise improves pain and function in people with CLBP, but these are yet to be synthesised. Objective To synthesise the proposed mechanisms of benefit for exercise in people with CLBP. Design Review....

BACKGROUND Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a global health problem associated with an increasing burden on individuals, health care systems, and society. Common treatments for people with CLBP produce, on average, small short-term improvements in pain and function compared with minimal care. The RESOLVE trial randomly allocated 276 people with CLBP...

Background There is limited evidence for the comparative effectiveness of analgesic medicines for adults with low back pain. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aims to determine the analgesic effect, safety, acceptability, effect on function, and relative rank according to analgesic effect, safety, acceptability, and effect on functio...

Objective To compare the effectiveness of different physical exercise interventions for chronic non-specific neck pain. Design Systematic review and network meta-analysis. Data sources Electronic databases: AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, MEDLINE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, PsycINFO, Scopus and SPORTDis...

Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is a severe chronic pain condition that is not well understood and current treatment is suboptimal. In several other chronic pain conditions motor imagery and tactile acuity deficits are present, which are thought to represent associated neuroplastic changes. The aims of this study were to determine if motor im...

Background Chronic pain is a global health problem, affecting around 1 in 5 individuals in the general population. The understanding of the key role of functional brain alterations in the generation of chronic pain has led researchers to focus on pain treatments that target brain activity. Electroencephalographic neurofeedback attempts to modulate...

Background: This systematic review aimed to investigate whether the administration of hypnotic medicines, z-drugs, melatonin or benzodiazepines, reduced pain intensity postoperatively. Methods: Medline, Embase, Cinahl, Psych info, Central and PubMed databases were searched, from inception to February 2020 to identify relevant trials. The search...

The proportion of people aged 65 years and older regularly traveling in motor vehicles continues to grow worldwide. In a previous convenience sample, we observed many older people using comfort accessories when traveling in vehicles, and these may contribute to the known increased risk of injury in crashes among older people. In this study, we aime...

Objectives Mediation analysis is a widely used quantitative method for investigating how interventions and exposures in randomised controlled trials and observational studies have an effect on healthcare outcomes. This study aimed to assess the importance of items that should be considered in a consensus meeting aimed at developing a guideline for...

BACKGROUND Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. Most people with LBP receive the diagnosis of non-specific LBP or sciatica. Medications are commonly prescribed but have limited analgesic effects and are associated with adverse events. A novel treatment approach is to target neurotrophins such as nerve g...

Background Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. Most people with LBP receive the diagnosis of nonspecific LBP or sciatica. Medications are commonly prescribed but have limited analgesic effects and are associated with adverse events. A novel treatment approach is to target neurotrophins such as nerve gr...

Background and Aims Higher chronic pain acceptance is associated with lower pain and disability. Clinician beliefs are associated with patients’ beliefs. This study therefore aimed to develop the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire for Clinicians (CPAQ-C) to measure clinicians’ beliefs regarding the importance of levels of acceptance in patients...

BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a global health problem, affecting around 1 in 5 individuals in the general population. The understanding of the key role of functional brain alterations in the generation of chronic pain has led researchers to focus on pain treatments that target brain activity. Electroencephalographic neurofeedback attempts to modulate...

Background Statistical analysis plans describe the planned data