European journal of pain : EJP
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Theoretical accounts of attentional and interpretation biases in pain suggest that these biases are interrelated and are both influenced by perceived threat. A laboratory-based study was conducted to test whether these biases are influenced by threat and their interrelationship and whether attention or interpretation biases predict pain outcomes. ⋯ These findings provide partial support for the threat interpretation model and the importance of threat and affective pain biases, yet no relationship between cognitive processing biases was found, which may only occur in clinical pain samples. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: In healthy participants, no relationship between attention and interpretation biases was found. Eye tracking revealed an association between later attentional processes and pain. Threat influenced attentional biases and pain outcomes, partially supporting theoretical accounts.
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Few studies have addressed the role of obesity in young adulthood in knee problems later in life. We assessed the associations of overweight/obesity with knee pain and functional limitations of the knee across the life course. ⋯ Reducing overweight already in adolescence and avoiding further weight gain during life course may prevent knee pain and associated disability. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: BMI at the age of 20 increases the likelihood of knee pain and functional limitations of the knee later in life. Development of severe obesity in adulthood increases the risk of knee pain by 80% and functional limitations by more than 90%. Both general and abdominal obesity are associated with knee pain, associations being stronger for general obesity.
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Chronic pain is frequent in elderly people and, especially if widespread, associated with poor mental health. We investigated whether a resilient personality protects older adults against the adverse effects of chronic pain. ⋯ Resilience was protective in the association of CWP with depressive symptoms in this analysis. Older adults with CWP may potentially benefit from interventions supporting resilience. Prospective research should investigate the protective role of resilience in the potentially self-perpetuating relation between chronic pain and depressed affect. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: The association of chronic widespread pain with depressive symptoms in the elderly population is attenuated by resilience.
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In this study, the effects of prior pain experience and motivation on attentional bias towards pain-related information were investigated within two visual-probe tasks via eye movement behaviours. It is hypothesized that pain experience would induce stronger attentional bias and such bias could be suppressed by the motivation to avoid impeding pain. ⋯ This study was the first that revealed the impact of acute experimental pain on attentional bias towards pain-related information in healthy individuals through eye tracking. It may provide a possible solution to reduce hypervigilance towards pain-related information by altering the motivational relevance. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: (1) This study revealed the impact of experimental pain on attentional bias in healthy individuals; (2) This study may provide a possible approach of altering motivational relevance to control the pain-induced attentional bias towards pain-related information.
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Knowledge about the course of recovery after whiplash injury is important. Most valuable is identification of prognostic factors that may be reversed by intervention. The mutual maintenance model outlines how post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and pain may be mutually maintained by attention bias, fear, negative affect and avoidance behaviours. In a similar vein, the fear-avoidance model describes how pain-catastrophizing (PCS), fear-avoidance beliefs (FA) and depression may result in persistent pain. These mechanisms still need to be investigated longitudinally in a whiplash cohort. ⋯ The present study adds important knowledge about the development of psychological distress and pain after whiplash injury. The finding, that PCS and FA mediated the effect of PTSS on pain intensity is a novel finding with important implications for prevention and management of whiplash-associated disorders. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: The study confirms the mechanisms as outlined in the fear-avoidance model and the mutual maintenance model. The study adds important knowledge of pain-catastrophizing and fear-avoidance beliefs as mediating mechanisms in the effect of post-traumatic stress on pain intensity. Hence, cognitive behavioural techniques targeting avoidance behaviour and catastrophizing may be beneficial preventing the development of chronic pain.