Pain
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Chronic low back pain (CLBP) and obesity are interrelated, but the physiological mechanisms linking the 2 conditions remain to be determined. Functional brain imaging data from CLBP patients show functional and structural alterations in areas mediating the attribution of hedonic value to food. Accordingly, we hypothesized that CLBP patients would exhibit alteration in the hedonic perception of highly palatable, calorie-containing foods. ⋯ In contrast, the patients' sensory evaluation of these stimuli was not different from those of healthy controls. In addition, whereas in healthy controls caloric intake from pudding closely matched hedonic ratings and decreased hunger after ad libitum pudding intake, such effect was totally abolished in CLBP patients. Our data thus reveal a decoupling between hedonic perception and fat calorie intake in CLBP patents, suggesting altered hedonic perception of fat as a potential mechanism linking CLBP to overeating and obesity.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effectiveness of Group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Fibromyalgia: A 6-month Randomised Controlled Trial (EFFIGACT study).
In the last decade, there has been burgeoning interest in the effectiveness of third-generation psychological therapies for managing fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms. The present study examined the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on functional status as well as the role of pain acceptance as a mediator of treatment outcomes in FM patients. A total of 156 patients with FM were enrolled at primary health care centers in Zaragoza, Spain. ⋯ Unexpectedly, 4 of the 5 tested path analyses did not show a mediation effect. Changes in pain acceptance only mediated the relationship between study condition and health-related quality of life. These findings are discussed in relation to previous psychological research on FM treatment.