Executive Functions and Pain

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Bunk ◽  
Lukas Preis ◽  
Sytse Zuidema ◽  
Stefan Lautenbacher ◽  
Miriam Kunz

Abstract. A growing body of literature suggests that chronic-pain patients suffer from problems in various neuropsychological domains, including executive functioning. In order to better understand which components of executive functioning (inhibition, shifting and/or updating) might be especially affected by pain and which mechanisms might underlie this association, we conducted a systematic review, including both chronic-pain studies as well as experimental-pain studies. The chronic-pain studies (N = 57) show that pain is associated with poorer executive functioning. The findings of experimental-pain studies (N = 28) suggest that this might be a bidirectional relationship: Pain can disrupt executive functioning, but poorer executive functioning might also be a risk factor for higher vulnerability to pain.

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A265-A266
Author(s):  
Yishi Sun ◽  
Isabelle Laksono ◽  
Janannii Selvanathan ◽  
Aparna Saripella ◽  
Mahesh Nagappa ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction In individuals with chronic pain, sleep disturbances have been suggested to increase suffering, perception of pain, and to negatively affect long-term prognosis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to determine the pooled prevalence of sleep disturbances in chronic non-cancer pain patients with no other sleep disorders, using the patient-rated questionnaires Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Methods Multiple databases were searched for studies reporting the prevalence of sleep disturbances in chronic pain patients. Chronic pain was defined as pain >3 months. Comorbid sleep disorders such as sleep disordered breathing and restless leg syndrome were excluded. Sleep disturbances were defined using the PSQI cutoff of > 5 (poor sleep quality) and ISI ≥ 8 (subthreshold to clinical insomnia). The meta-analysis was conducted to examine the pooled prevalence of PSQI and ISI data using the inverse-variance random-effects model and to examine mean differences in PSQI scores. Results The systematic search resulted in 25,486 articles and 20 were included for analysis. In 12 studies using PSQI, the pooled prevalence of sleep disturbance was 75.3% among 3,597 chronic pain patients (mean age 53 ± 12 years; 74% female). In eight studies using ISI, the pooled prevalence was 72.9% among 2,578 chronic pain patients (mean age 63 ± 12 years; 57% female). The meta-analysis showed a significant mean difference of 2.75 (p < 0.001) in the global PSQI score between the chronic pain group versus the non-chronic pain group. The meta-analysis also showed a significant mean difference in the scores of four of seven PSQI components: sleep latency, sleep efficiency, sleep duration, and sleep disturbances (p < 0.05). Conclusion In chronic pain patients, the pooled prevalence of sleep disturbances as measured by PSQI (75.3%) and ISI (72.9%) studies was much higher than those reported for the general population. The relatively high prevalence of sleep disturbances in chronic pain patients emphasizes the importance of further characterizing the relationship between sleep and chronic pain. Support (if any):


Pain Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 3413-3427
Author(s):  
Dorine Lenoir ◽  
Ward Willaert ◽  
Iris Coppieters ◽  
Anneleen Malfliet ◽  
Kelly Ickmans ◽  
...  

Abstract Background With its high temporal resolution, electroencephalography (EEG), a technique that records electrical activity of cortical neuronal cells, is a potentially suitable technique to investigate human somatosensory processing. By using EEG, the processing of (nociceptive) stimuli can be investigated, along with the functionality of the nociceptive pathway. Therefore, it can be applied in chronic pain patients to objectify whether changes have occurred in nociceptive processing. Typically, so-called event-related potential (ERP) recordings are used, where EEG signals are recorded in response to specific stimuli and characterized by latency and amplitude. Objective To summarize whether differences in somatosensory processing occur between chronic pain patients and healthy controls, measured with ERPs, and determine whether this response is related to the subjective pain intensity. Design Systematic review. Setting and Methods PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were consulted, and 18 case–control studies were finally included. Subjects The chronic pain patients suffered from tension-type headache, back pain, migraine, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, prostatitis, or complex regional pain syndrome. Results Chronic neuropathic pain patients showed increased latencies of the N2 and P2 components, along with a decreased amplitude of the N2-P2 complex, which was also obtained in FM patients with small fiber dysfunction. The latter also showed a decreased amplitude of the N2-P3 and N1-P1 complex. For the other chronic pain patients, the latencies and the amplitudes of the ERP components did not seem to differ from healthy controls. One paper indicated that the N2-P3 peak-to-peak amplitude correlates with the subjective experience of the stimulus. Conclusions Differences in ERPs with healthy controls can mostly be found in chronic pain populations that suffer from neuropathic pain or where fiber dysfunction is present. In chronic pain populations with other etiological mechanisms, limited differences were found or agreed upon across studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 151
Author(s):  
María del Rocío Ibancos-Losada ◽  
María Catalina Osuna-Pérez ◽  
Irene Cortés-Pérez ◽  
Desirée Montoro-Cárdenas ◽  
Ángeles Díaz-Fernández

Experimental pain testing requires specific equipment and may be uncomfortable for patients. The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) was developed to assess pain sensitivity, based on the pain intensity ratings (range: 0–10) of painful situations that occur in daily life. The main objective of this study was to carry out a cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the PSQ (PSQ-S). A total of 354 subjects (296 healthy and 58 chronic pain patients) filled in the PSQ-S. A subgroup of 116 subjects performed experimental pain testing, including two modalities (cold and pressure), with different measures: pain intensity rating, pressure pain threshold, and tolerance. The validation results showed two factors: PSQ-S-moderate and PSQ-S-minor and, for the total scale and the two factors, an excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient > 0.9) and a substantial reliability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient > 0.8). We obtained strong correlations with all the experimental pain rating parameters, catastrophizing, and depression variables, as well as moderate correlations with anxiety, central sensibilization, and impact on the quality of life. Chronic pain patients received elevated PSQ-S scores compared to healthy controls, and three cut-off values (PSQ-S-total = 7.00, PSQ-S-moderate = 7.57, and PSQ-S-minor = 6.29) based on ROC curve analyses were shown to be able to discriminate between healthy adults and adults with chronic pain. Therefore, PSQ-S may be a simple alternative to experimental pain procedures for clinical and experimental pain research.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 416-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Timmerman ◽  
D. L. Stronks ◽  
J. G. Groeneweg ◽  
F. J. Huygen

Pain Medicine ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 1465-1489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Begoña Ojeda ◽  
Inmaculada Failde ◽  
María Dueñas ◽  
Alejandro Salazar ◽  
Christopher Eccleston

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