Does the IASP definition of pain need updating?

• Main Author: Murat Aydede
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer 2019-10-01
• Series: PAIN Reports
• Online Access: http://journals.lww.com/painrpts/fulltext/10.1097/PR9.0000000000000777

Abstract. The current IASP definition of pain has come under renewed criticisms recently. There is a new momentum for its revision as reflected by the fact that IASP has now a Presidential Task Force dedicated to look into whether there is enough warrant to update the definition. I critically review all the major criticisms of the current definition in detail, and raise new difficulties rarely discussed before. I show that none of the major criticisms has enough warrant to force us to substantially revise the current definition. Combined with the discussion of the new difficulties, there is nonetheless a need to restate the definition using slightly different terminology that will make the original intent of the current definition clearer and more precise. A restatement of the definition is proposed and its potential is discussed in light of some empirical questions that remain.