[en] [en] BACKGROUND: Attentional processing of pain has been theorized to play a key role in the severity of pain and associated disability. In particular attentional bias towards pain information, resulting in poor pain outcomes, has been extensively researched. Recently, the idea was put forward that attention bias malleability (AM), i.e., the readiness to acquire an attentional bias irrespective of its direction, may be key in predicting poor pain outcomes. We tested this hypothesis in two studies.
METHODS: In Study 1, 55 healthy participants completed an AM paradigm, followed by an experimental heat pain paradigm probing pain experience and pain-related task interference. In Study 2, 71 people with chronic pain completed an AM paradigm and questionnaires probing pain experience and associated disability.
RESULTS: In Study 1, including healthy participants, no relationship was found between AM indices and experimental pain outcomes. In Study 2, including chronic pain patients, results indicated that higher levels of overall AM were related to higher levels of pain experience and disability.
CONCLUSION: This study partially supports the hypotheses that the degree to which individuals can adapt their attentional preference in line with changing environmental conditions is associated with poor pain outcomes. However, future research is needed to clarify inconsistent findings between healthy volunteers and chronic pain patients as well as to determine the causal status of AM in poor pain outcomes.
Disciplines :
Treatment & clinical psychology
Author, co-author :
Mac Goris, Justine L ✱; Department of Clinical Psychological Science, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands
Todd, Jemma; School Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Clarke, Patrick J F; Curtin School of Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University of Technology, Curtin, Australia
Hughes, Alicia M; Department of Psychological Medecine, King's College London, University of London, London, United Kingdom
VÖGELE, Claus ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) > Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS) > Health and Behaviour
Van Ryckeghem, Dimitri M L ✱; Department of Clinical Psychological Science, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands ; Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg ; Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
✱ These authors have contributed equally to this work.
External co-authors :
yes
Language :
English
Title :
The role of attention bias malleability in experiencing pain and associated disability.
Justine MacGoris and Dimitri Van Ryckeghem are supported by funding from FNR Core Junior programme (Painflex; Nr. 12671141). Dimitri Van Ryckeghem is an investigator on ARC Discovery Project DP210101827. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.The following grant information was disclosed by the authors: FNR Core Junior programme: 12671141. ARC Discovery Project: DP210101827.
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