ICBT for Children With FAPDs - the Child's Pain Regulation

Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) in children are common (14%) and abdominal pain has increased rapidly in children during the last ten years in Sweden. Many children with FAPDs have low quality of life, missed school days, and about 30-40% suffer from psychiatric comorbidity. FAPDs are often sustained into adulthood and a large Swedish cohort study showed that abdominal pain during childhood is an independent strong predictor anxiety and depression later in life. Internet-cognitive behavioral therapy (Internet-CBT) can improve FAPD symptoms, but a significant number of children does not respond to the treatment.

We will here determine the pain regulation in children with FAPDs, compared with healthy controls, and assess:

What aspects of the child's pain regulation is related to improvement for children with FAPDs engaging in Internet-CBT?

Does some aspects of the child's pain regulation change during treatment?