Secondary outcomes
Depression, Anxiety, TNF-α
SECONDARY, APPENDIX, SENSITISATION
A broad range of systemic neuroimmune responses were quantified as secondary outcomes: (a) inflammatory marker concentration following in-vitro stimulation of whole blood cells (IL-10, IL-4, IL-1RA, CCL2, CCL3 and CCL4), (b) ex-vivo serum inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1β, sTNFR-R2 and IL-1RA) (c) ex-vivo serum cortisol, and (d) phenotypic analysis of blood mononuclear cells (see Appendix Neuroimmune parameters. (In addition, several psychological and behavioural self-reported questionnaires and physical tests were evaluated (Table Patient characteristics variables and outcome measures.The questionnaires and ultrasound measures that were not used to assess treatment effects and that were considered to be influenced negligibly by the intervention were completed while the patient was waiting for his outcome assessment at 2-h after the intervention.VAS: Visual Analogue Scale; MHI5: Mental Health Inventory-5; NDI: Neck Disability Index; PSQI: Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index; IPAQ: International Physical Activity Questionnaire: TSK: Tampa scale for kinesiophobia; CSI: Central Sensitisation Inventory; DASS21: Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale 21; GPE: Global Perceived Effect scale; Placebo questions: The extent to which they agree (using a four-point Likert scale) with four statements