Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
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The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of 205 male and 157 female patients with acute and chronic low back pain (LBP) were studied for replicable homogeneous subgroups using three cluster-analysis procedures. Two normal and three clinically elevated profile subgroups were identified. The two normal subgroups were characterized by relatively normal musculoskeletal condition and were least disabled, but they differed somewhat from each other in duration of pain, presence of physical abnormalities, and daily functioning. ⋯ The fifth and most pathologic profile subgroup surprisingly consisted largely of acute-pain patients whose musculoskeletal condition and daily functioning were similar to those of the normal subgroups. Patients in the three abnormal MMPI subgroups were exposed to more LBP physical-risk factors in the workplace. Implications for psychological treatment with these different profile types are discussed.
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Migraineurs and nonmigraineurs were compared in their selection of, psychophysical evaluation of, and psychophysiological response to verbal pain descriptors. Participants observed a series of 20 pain descriptors, each presented twice, 12 sec each time. Skin conductance responses (SCRs) were recorded during each presentation. ⋯ Pain descriptors more frequently selected by migraineurs on the MPQ were associated with greater skin conductance orienting responses. No differences were observed between migraineurs and nonmigraineurs in the number of intensity of pain descriptors chosen for any of the sensory, affective, evaluative, or miscellaneous dimensions of the MPQ. Results suggest that migraineurs may be conditioned or sensitized to particular sets of verbal pain descriptors and that these processes may serve to differentiate among pain sufferers and pain-free populations.