Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI-R) Test
How the Scales are Structured
Who Usually Takes This Test?
See How You Compare
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.
Example Questions From the Test
- Never
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
- Never
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
- Never
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI-R) Test - Description and methodology of the test
People who notice a broad mix of persistent pain, fatigue, sleep disruption, sensory sensitivity, or related bodily complaints may use the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI-R) Test to organize that pattern. For someone exploring central sensitization symptoms, the result offers a severity-oriented snapshot of the reported severity and frequency of associated symptoms. It can help focus personal reflection and conversations about next steps.
What This Assessment Explores
The items cover physical, sensory, emotional, cognitive, sleep-related, and functional experiences in a broad symptom pattern. As a central sensitization questionnaire, it suits people examining recurring pain with fatigue, poor sleep, sensory triggers, or stress-related worsening.
The main groups are:
- Pain and musculoskeletal sensitivity show widespread pain, stiffness, jaw, and muscle tension.
- Energy, sleep, cognition, and sensory reactivity reflect fatigue, poor sleep, headaches, concentration, and light sensitivity.
- Visceral, emotional, and functional experiences cover bowel or bladder symptoms, anxiety, low mood, stress-linked worsening, activity difficulty, and childhood trauma.
The Central Sensitization Scale spans 0-100 and assesses central-sensitization symptom severity, including chronic pain and increased sensitivity to stimuli. The scale supports clinical and research identification of chronic pain-syndrome risk. Severity is framed as subclinical, mild, moderate, severe, or critical; displayed bands are Low-Moderate 0-49, High 50-59, and Very High 60-100.
Methodology and Evidence Base
Each item asks how often an experience occurs, using Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, or Always; where shown, choices are numbered 1 through 5. The output condenses these responses into one 0-100 result, but the online format does not state the conversion rule, so no point contribution should be inferred from the range.
The online questionnaire is conceptually consistent with Esin et al.'s 2020 Russian CSI, but is not established as an identical validated translation or adaptation. Mayer et al. (2012) developed and psychometrically validated the original CSI; Neblett et al. (2017) examined clinically relevant severity levels. Adams and Turk (2015) situate central sensitivity syndromes within a psychosocial framework.
For a CSI-R assessment, the bands indicate reported symptom severity: lower bands reflect lower reported symptom severity, while higher bands reflect progressively greater severity; they do not establish a mechanism or disease or constitute a diagnosis. The online version does not provide local norms, reliability estimates, or independent standardization. Self-report scores can shift with current stress, sleep, health context, response bias, and self-awareness, so interpretation belongs alongside broader clinical and functional information.
- Esin O.R., Gorobets E.A., Khairullin I.Kh., Esin R.G., Gamirova R.G., Shamsutdinova R.F., Fedorenko A.I., Faskhutdinova A.T., Khakimova A.R. (2020). Central Sensitization Inventory - a Russian version. S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry, 120(6), 51-56. 10.17116/jnevro202012006151.
- Mayer T.G., Neblett R., Cohen H., Howard K.J., Choi Y.H., Williams M.J., Perez Y., Gatchel R.J. (2012). The Development and Psychometric Validation of the Central Sensitization Inventory. Pain Practice, 12(4), 276-285. 10.1111/j.1533-2500.2011.00493.x.
- Neblett R., Hartzell M.M., Mayer T.G., Cohen H., Gatchel R.J. (2017). Establishing clinically relevant severity levels for the Central Sensitization Inventory. Pain Practice, 17(2), 166-175. 10.1111/papr.12440.
- Adams L.M., Turk D.C. (2015). Psychosocial Factors and Central Sensitivity Syndromes. Current Rheumatology Reviews, 11(2), 96-108. 10.2174/1573397111666150619095330
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