Chronic pain and cognition, effects of pain intensity on tasks of attention and memory

by Townsend, Laurel A.

Chronic Pain and Cognition ii The impact of pain intensity upon tasks of attention and memory was investigated, with the specific aim of evaluating differences in effortful versus automatic processing, implicit versus explicit memory, and right venus left hemisphere measures. Al1 research participants in the study had been diagnosed with chronic pain conditions and each person completed memory and attention tasks, measures of intelligence, emotional knctioning, and cognitive failures, and provided pain intensity ratings. Ratings regarding level of fatigue, quality of sleep. perceived control over pain and perceived effect of pain on attention and memory were also obtained. With age, education, fatigue, and self-efficacy controlled, performance on the cognitive tasks was used to predict pain intensity through a senes of hierarchical multiple regressions. Performance on the cognitive tasks was not able to account for a significant amount of the variance in pain intensity. Self-efficacy and fatigue were also noted as strong predictors of pain intensity among this sample. Implications are discussed in view of rehabilitation and neuropsychological assessment of persons with chronic pain, as well as clinical interventions with this population. Chronic Pain and Cognition