Prevalence and Impact of Central Sensitisation and Kinesiophobia on Functional Capacity and Quality of Life in Behçet’s Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Behçet's disease (BD) may experience heightened pain sensitivity, potentially related to central sensitisation (CS). The hypersensitive central nervous system causes physical inactivity and kinesiophobia due to overreacting to stimuli that would not usually cause pain. This study aims to determine the frequency of CS in patients with BD and to evaluate the relationship between CS and kinesiophobia, exercise capacity, disease activity, and quality of life (QoL). The study, which included 55 patients with BD and 55 healthy controls (HCs), employed a comprehensive approach. All participants were administered the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TKS), the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and the central sensitisation inventory. CS was detected in 61.4% of with BD. Among the 55 patients, 24 (45.5%) were male, with a median age of 42 years (IQR 17) and a median disease duration of 8 years (IQR 10). Compared to age- and gender-matched HCs, patients with BD exhibited higher CS, increased kinesiophobia, and shorter walking distances. There were moderate correlations between CS scores and the 6MWT, TKS, BDCAF, and BDQoL in patients with BD (Rho = 0.51, Rho = 0.56, Rho = 0.48, and Rho = 0.56, respectively; all p-values < .001). Hierarchical linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between QoL and the presence of CS (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.033-0.562, p=0.028) and kinesiophobia (95% CI 0.245-0.766, p < 0.001). The prevalence of CS and kinesiophobia in BD patients is a significant finding, shedding light on the factors contributing to reduced QoL and functional exercise capacity.