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Cardoso S, Fernandes C, Barbosa F. Attentional deficits in fibromyalgia: an ERP study with the oddball dual task and emotional stroop task. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:104. [PMID: 38424648 PMCID: PMC10902965 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01601-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the neural correlates of attentional deficits in fibromyalgia through an Oddball Dual Task and an Emotional Stroop Task, both performed during EEG recordings. Thirty female participants were recruited, being divided into two groups: a group of patients with fibromyalgia (FM, n = 15, Mage = 51.87, SDage = 7.12) and a healthy control group (HC, n = 15, Mage = 46.13, SDage = 8.41). In the Emotional Stroop Task, the behavioural results showed that patients with FM had less hits and longer times reactions than healthy controls. These results were consistent with those obtained with our Event-related Potential (ERP) methodology, which evidenced that patients with FM had higher frontal latencies in the P200 time-window compared to healthy controls. Regarding the Oddball Dual Task, we found that patients with FM had lower P300 amplitudes than healthy participants. Moreover, we found that rare stimuli elicited higher P300 amplitudes than frequent stimuli for healthy controls, but this comparison was non-significant for patients with FM. Taken together, our results suggest that fibromyalgia may be associated to a reduced processing speed, along to reduced neural resources to process stimuli, mainly in distinguishing relevant (rare) and irrelevant (frequent) stimuli according to the goals of the task. Altogether, our results seem to support the hypothesis of generalized attentional deficits in FM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Cardoso
- Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), University of Maia, Avenida Carlos de Oliveira Campos-Castêlo da Maia, 4475-690, Maia, Portugal.
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Carina Fernandes
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal
- Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP) & RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Barbosa
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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2
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Pinto AM, Luís M, Geenen R, Palavra F, Lumley MA, Ablin JN, Amris K, Branco J, Buskila D, Castelhano J, Castelo-Branco M, Crofford LJ, Fitzcharles MA, Häuser W, Kosek E, López-Solà M, Mease P, Marques TR, Jacobs JWG, Castilho P, da Silva JAP. Neurophysiological and Psychosocial Mechanisms of Fibromyalgia: A Comprehensive Review and Call for An Integrative Model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023:105235. [PMID: 37207842 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Research into the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms involved in fibromyalgia has progressed remarkably in recent years. Despite this, current accounts of fibromyalgia fail to capture the complex, dynamic, and mutual crosstalk between neurophysiological and psychosocial domains. We conducted a comprehensive review of the existing literature in order to: a) synthesize current knowledge on fibromyalgia; b) explore and highlight multi-level links and pathways between different systems; and c) build bridges connecting disparate perspectives. An extensive panel of international experts in neurophysiological and psychosocial aspects of fibromyalgia discussed the collected evidence and progressively refined and conceptualized its interpretation. This work constitutes an essential step towards the development of a model capable of integrating the main factors implicated in fibromyalgia into a single, unified construct which appears indispensable to foster the understanding, assessment, and intervention for fibromyalgia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Margarida Pinto
- University of Coimbra, Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Rua do Colégio Novo, s/n, 3000-115 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, University Clinic of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Rua Larga - FMUC, Pólo I - Edifício Central, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Psychological Medicine Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Rua Larga - FMUC, Pólo I - Edifício Central, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Mariana Luís
- Rheumatology Department, Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, Praceta Mota Pinto, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Rinie Geenen
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Martinus J. Langeveldgebouw, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands; Altrecht Psychosomatic Medicine Eikenboom, Vrijbaan 2, 3705 WC Zeist, the Netherlands.
| | - Filipe Palavra
- Centre for Child Development, Neuropediatric Unit. Pediatric Hospital, Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, Avenida Afonso Romão, 3000-602 Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (i.CBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Mark A Lumley
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, 5057 Woodward Ave., Suite 7908, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
| | - Jacob N Ablin
- Internal Medicine H, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann Street, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Kirstine Amris
- The Parker Institute, Department of Rheumatology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Nordre Fasanvej 57, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
| | - Jaime Branco
- Rheumatology Department, Egas Moniz Hospital - Lisboa Ocidental Hospital Centre (CHLO-EPE), R. da Junqueira 126, 1349-019 Lisbon, Portugal; Comprehensive Health Research Center (CHRC), Chronic Diseases Research Centre (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, NOVA University Lisbon (NMS/UNL), Campo Mártires da Pátria 130, 1169-056 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Dan Buskila
- Ben Gurion University of the Negev Beer-Sheba, Israel.
| | - João Castelhano
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), ICNAS, Edifício do ICNAS, Polo 3, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal, Portugal.
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), ICNAS, Edifício do ICNAS, Polo 3, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal, Portugal.
| | - Leslie J Crofford
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1211 Medical Center Drive, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| | - Mary-Ann Fitzcharles
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, McGill University, 1650 Cedar Ave, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3G 1A4.
| | - Winfried Häuser
- Department Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Eva Kosek
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden; Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Marina López-Solà
- Serra Hunter Programme, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona.
| | - Philip Mease
- Swedish Medical Center/Providence St. Joseph Health, Seattle, WA, USA; University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Tiago Reis Marques
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2BU, UK; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK.
| | - Johannes W G Jacobs
- Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands.
| | - Paula Castilho
- University of Coimbra, Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Rua do Colégio Novo, s/n, 3000-115 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - José A P da Silva
- University of Coimbra, University Clinic of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Rua Larga - FMUC, Pólo I - Edifício Central, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; Rheumatology Department, Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, Praceta Mota Pinto, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (i.CBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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Barjola P, Peláez I, Ferrera D, González-Gutiérrez JL, Velasco L, Peñacoba-Puente C, López-López A, Fernandes-Magalhaes R, Mercado F. Electrophysiological indices of pain expectation abnormalities in fibromyalgia patients. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:943976. [PMID: 36248693 PMCID: PMC9562711 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.943976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by dysfunctional processing of nociceptive stimulation. Neuroimaging studies have pointed out that pain-related network functioning seems to be altered in these patients. It is thought that this clinical symptomatology may be maintained or even strengthened because of an enhanced expectancy for painful stimuli or its forthcoming appearance. However, neural electrophysiological correlates associated with such attentional mechanisms have been scarcely explored. In the current study, expectancy processes of upcoming laser stimulation (painful and non-painful) and its further processing were explored by event-related potentials (ERPs). Nineteen fibromyalgia patients and twenty healthy control volunteers took part in the experiment. Behavioral measures (reaction times and subjective pain perception) were also collected. We manipulated the pain/no pain expectancy through an S1–S2 paradigm (cue-target). S1 (image: triangle or square) predicted the S2 appearance (laser stimulation: warmth or pinprick sensation). Laser stimuli were delivered using a CO2 laser device. Temporal and spatial principal component analyses were employed to define and quantify the ERP component reliability. Statistical analyses revealed the existence of an abnormal pattern of pain expectancy in patients with fibromyalgia. Specifically, our results showed attenuated amplitudes at posterior lCNV component in anticipation of painful stimulation that was not found in healthy participants. In contrast, although larger P2 amplitudes to painful compared to innocuous events were shown, patients did not show any amplitude change in this laser-evoked response as a function of pain predictive cues (as occurred in the healthy control group). Additionally, analyses of the subjective perception of pain and reaction time indicated that laser stimuli preceded by pain cues were rated as more painful than those signaling non-pain expectancy and were associated with faster responses. Differences between groups were not found. The present findings suggest the presence of dysfunction in pain expectation mechanisms in fibromyalgia that eventually may make it difficult for patients to correctly interpret signs that prevent pain symptoms. Furthermore, the abnormal pattern in pain expectancy displayed by fibromyalgia patients could result in ineffective pain coping strategies. Understanding the neural correlates of pain processing and its modulatory factors is crucial to identify treatments for chronic pain syndromes.
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Otsuru N, Ogawa M, Yokota H, Miyaguchi S, Kojima S, Saito K, Inukai Y, Onishi H. Auditory change-related cortical response is associated with hypervigilance to pain in healthy volunteers. Eur J Pain 2021; 26:349-355. [PMID: 34528347 PMCID: PMC9292983 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Patients with chronic pain exhibit hypervigilance (heightened responsiveness to stimuli) to innocuous auditory stimuli as well as noxious stimuli. “Generalized hypervigilance” suggests that individuals who show heightened responsiveness to one sensory system also show hypervigilance to other modalities. However, research exploring the existence of generalized hypervigilance in healthy subjects is limited. Methods We investigated whether hypervigilance to pain is associated with auditory stimuli in healthy subjects using the pain vigilance and awareness questionnaire (PVAQ) and auditory change‐related cortical responses (ACRs). ACRs are thought to reflect a change detection system, based on preceding sensory memory. We recorded ACRs under conditions that varied in terms of the accumulation of sensory memory as follows: short‐ACR, with short preceding continuous stimuli and long‐ACR, with long preceding continuous stimuli. In addition, the attention to pain (PVAQ‐AP) and attention to changes in pain (PVAQ‐ACP) subscales were evaluated. Results Amplitudes of long‐ACR showed significant positive correlations with PVAQ‐ACP, whereas those of short‐ACR did not show any significant correlations. Conclusions Generalized hypervigilance may be observed even in healthy subjects. ACR may be a useful index to evaluate the hypervigilance state in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naofumi Otsuru
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Mayu Ogawa
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hirotake Yokota
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Shota Miyaguchi
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Sho Kojima
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Kei Saito
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yasuto Inukai
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hideaki Onishi
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.,Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
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Broadbent P, Liossi C, Schoth DE. Attentional bias to somatosensory stimuli in chronic pain patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain 2021; 162:332-352. [PMID: 32833792 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the evidence pertaining to attentional bias for painful and nonpainful somatosensory stimuli in individuals with chronic pain. Eligible studies were identified through searches of Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases. Search terms were words and phrases organised into 3 concept blocks: pain condition, cognitive process, and stimuli/paradigm. The search identified 29 eligible studies (reporting 32 eligible experiments), of which quantitative meta-analysis was possible for 16 studies (19 experiments). The meta-analysis found that chronic pain patients, excluding somatoform pain patients, showed significantly greater attentional bias to stimuli in the somatosensory modality than healthy controls (k = 9, g = 0.34). In addition, meta-analysis of studies that used a temporal order judgement task found that patients with unilateral chronic pain showed a spatial attentional bias away from somatosensory stimuli (k = 7, effect estimate = 22.43 ms) and visual stimuli (k = 2, effect estimate = 13.75 ms) on or near the painful body side. Most studies of attentional bias to the somatosensory modality recruited samples of patients with fibromyalgia, whereas most studies of spatial attentional bias assessed patients with complex regional pain syndrome. The extent to which these results generalise to other pain conditions is therefore unclear. We recommend future research test spatial and modality attentional biases across chronic pain conditions and examine the psychometric properties of attentional bias measurement paradigms for use with chronic pain populations. PROSPERO registration number CRD42019124510.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippa Broadbent
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Liossi
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Paediatric Psychology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel E Schoth
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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Hollins M, Athans L. Perceptual amplification following sustained attention: implications for hypervigilance. Exp Brain Res 2020; 239:279-288. [PMID: 33151350 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05910-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
It is known that attending to a cutaneous stimulus briefly increases its subjective intensity. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether an extended period of attention would produce a longer-lasting perceptual amplification. Eighty subjects were assigned alternately to experimental and control groups. Members of the two groups received identical series of tactile stimuli (near-threshold von Frey filaments applied to the forearm), but those in the experimental group carried out a two-interval forced-choice detection task that required attention to the filaments, while subjects in the control group attended instead to a video game. After this initial phase, all subjects gave magnitude estimates of the intensity of a wide range of von Frey filaments. The experimental group gave estimates 42% greater than those of the control group, both for filaments used in the initial phase, and others not presented previously; the perceptual amplification did not, however, transfer to a different type of pressure stimulus, a 5 mm-diameter rod applied to the skin. The aftereffect of sustained attention lasted for at least 15 min. This phenomenon, demonstrated in normal subjects, may have implications for the hypervigilance of some chronic pain patients, which is characterized by both heightened attention to pain and long-lasting perceptual amplification of noxious stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hollins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Luke Athans
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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Hypervigilance for Bodily Sensations in the Back During a Movement Task in People With Chronic and Recurrent Low Back Pain. Clin J Pain 2020; 36:524-532. [PMID: 32080002 DOI: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000000823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The current study assessed the role of hypervigilance for bodily sensations in the back in long-term low back pain problems. METHODS People with chronic low back pain, recurrent low back pain, and no low back pain were compared on the extent to which they attended to somatosensory stimuli on the back during a movement task. To measure hypervigilance, somatosensory event-related potentials (SEPs) to task-irrelevant tactile stimuli on the back were measured when preparing movements in either a threatening or a neutral condition, indicated by a cue signaling possible pain on the back during movement or not. RESULTS Results showed stronger attending to stimuli on the back in the threat condition than in the neutral condition, as reflected by increased amplitude of the N96 SEP. However, this effect did not differ between groups. Similarly, for all 3 groups the amplitude of the P172 was larger for the threatening condition, suggesting a more general state of arousal resulting in increased somatosensory responsiveness. No significant associations were found between somatosensory attending to the back and theorized antecedents such as pain catastrophizing, pain-related fear, and pain vigilance. DISCUSSION The current study confirmed that individuals preparing a movement attended more toward somatosensory stimuli at the lower back when anticipating back pain during the movement, as measured by the N96 SEP. However, no differences were found between participants with chronic low back pain or recurrent low back pain, or the pain-free controls.
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Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulates spontaneous neuronal activity that can generate long-term neuroplastic changes. It has been used in numerous therapeutic trials showing significant clinical effects especially when combined with other behavioral therapies. One area of intensive tDCS research is chronic pain. Since the initial tDCS trials for chronic pain treatment using current parameters of stimulation, more than 60 clinical trials have been published testing its effects in different pain syndromes. However, as the field moves in the direction of clinical application, several aspects need to be taken into consideration regarding tDCS effectiveness and parameters of stimulation. In this article, we reviewed the evidence of tDCS effects for the treatment of chronic pain and critically analyzed the literature pertaining its safety and efficacy, and how to optimize tDCS clinical effects in a therapeutic setting. We discuss optimization of tDCS effects in 3 different domains: (i) parameters of stimulation, (ii) combination therapies, and (iii) subject selection. This article aims to provide insights for the development of future tDCS clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Bonin Pinto
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation & Center for Clinical Research Learning, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Beatriz Teixeira Costa
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation & Center for Clinical Research Learning, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dante Duarte
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation & Center for Clinical Research Learning, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Felipe Fregni
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation & Center for Clinical Research Learning, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Van Damme S, Vanden Bulcke C, Van Den Berghe L, Poppe L, Crombez G. Do patients with chronic unilateral orofacial pain due to a temporomandibular disorder show increased attending to somatosensory input at the painful side of the jaw? PeerJ 2018; 6:e4310. [PMID: 29379693 PMCID: PMC5786881 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with chronic orofacial pain due to temporomandibular disorders (TMD) display alterations in somatosensory processing at the jaw, such as amplified perception of tactile stimuli, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated one possible explanation, namely hypervigilance, and tested if TMD patients with unilateral pain showed increased attending to somatosensory input at the painful side of the jaw. METHODS TMD patients with chronic unilateral orofacial pain (n = 20) and matched healthy volunteers (n = 20) performed a temporal order judgment (TOJ) task indicated which one of two tactile stimuli, presented on each side of the jaw, they had perceived first. TOJ methodology allows examining spatial bias in somatosensory processing speed. Furthermore, after each block of trials, the participants rated the perceived intensity of tactile stimuli separately for both sides of the jaw. Finally, questionnaires assessing pain catastrophizing, fear-avoidance beliefs, and pain vigilance, were completed. RESULTS TMD patients tended to perceive tactile stimuli at the painful jaw side as occurring earlier in time than stimuli at the non-painful side but this effect did not reach conventional levels of significance (p = .07). In the control group, tactile stimuli were perceived as occurring simultaneously. Secondary analyses indicated that the magnitude of spatial bias in the TMD group is positively associated with the extent of fear-avoidance beliefs. Overall, intensity ratings of tactile stimuli were significantly higher in the TMD group than in the control group, but there was no significant difference between the painful and non-painful jaw side in the TMD patients. DISCUSSION The hypothesis that TMD patients with chronic unilateral orofacial pain preferentially attend to somatosensory information at the painful side of the jaw was not statistically supported, although lack of power could not be ruled out as a reason for this. The findings are discussed within recent theories of pain-related attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefaan Van Damme
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Louise Poppe
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Crombez
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Pain Research, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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Bräscher AK, Raymaekers K, Van den Bergh O, Witthöft M. Are media reports able to cause somatic symptoms attributed to WiFi radiation? An experimental test of the negative expectation hypothesis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 156:265-271. [PMID: 28371755 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.03.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
People suffering from idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF) experience numerous non-specific symptoms that they attribute to EMF. The cause of this condition remains vague and evidence shows that psychological rather than bioelectromagnetic mechanisms are at work. We hypothesized a role of media reports in the etiology of IEI-EMF and investigated how somatosensory perception is affected. 65 healthy participants were instructed that EMF exposure can lead to enhanced somatosensory perception. Participants were randomly assigned to watch either a television report on adverse health effects of EMF or a neutral report. During the following experiment, participants rated stimulus intensities of tactile (electric) stimuli while being exposed to a sham WiFi signal in 50% of the trials. Sham WiFi exposure led to increased intensity ratings of tactile stimuli in the WiFi film group, especially in participants with higher levels of somatosensory amplification. Participants of the WiFi group reported more anxiety concerning WiFi exposure than the Control group and tended to perceive themselves as being more sensitive to EMF after the experiment compared to before. Sensational media reports can facilitate enhanced perception of tactile stimuli in healthy participants. People tending to perceive bodily symptoms as intense, disturbing, and noxious seem most vulnerable. Receiving sensational media reports might sensitize people to develop a nocebo effect and thereby contribute to the development of IEI-EMF. By promoting catastrophizing thoughts and increasing symptom-focused attention, perception might more readily be enhanced and misattributed to EMF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Kathrin Bräscher
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Department for Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Experimental Psychopathology, Wallstraße 3, 55122 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Koen Raymaekers
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Department for Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Experimental Psychopathology, Wallstraße 3, 55122 Mainz, Germany; KU Leuven - University of Leuven, School Psychology and Development in Context, Belgium
| | | | - Michael Witthöft
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Department for Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Experimental Psychopathology, Wallstraße 3, 55122 Mainz, Germany
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Rost S, Van Ryckeghem DML, Schulz A, Crombez G, Vögele C. Generalized hypervigilance in fibromyalgia: Normal interoceptive accuracy, but reduced self-regulatory capacity. J Psychosom Res 2017; 93:48-54. [PMID: 28107892 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The factors underlying the aetiology of fibromyalgia (FM) are largely unknown. According to the generalized hypervigilance hypothesis (GHH), FM patients show excessive attention towards pain stimuli and other sensory events, thereby increasing pain perception and dysfunctional behaviour. We tested this notion by assessing interoceptive accuracy (IA) in FM patients and matched healthy controls. We also tested the hypothesis that FM is characterized by reduced self-regulatory capacity as indexed by heart rate variability (HRV). METHODS 47 FM patients (Mage=45.5, 39 females) and 45 healthy controls (Mage=44.9, 37 females) completed several self-report scales (Body Vigilance Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, Pain Catastrophizing Scale). To derive HRV, heart rate was monitored under resting conditions; for the assessment of IA participants performed a heartbeat tracking task in which they were asked to silently count their heartbeats. RESULTS FM patients reported higher body vigilance than healthy controls, but there were no group differences in IA. FM patients had lower HRV compared with healthy controls. HRV did not predictor IA. CONCLUSION In conclusion, our findings do not support the hypothesis of generalized hypervigilance in FM patients. Patients reported a heightened focus on bodily sensations, which was not reflected in IA. It may be that hypervigilance is not a general and stable characteristic but is rather context dependent and modality-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Rost
- Institute for Health and Behaviour, INSIDE, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg; Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
| | - Dimitri M L Van Ryckeghem
- Institute for Health and Behaviour, INSIDE, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg; Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - André Schulz
- Institute for Health and Behaviour, INSIDE, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Geert Crombez
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium; Centre for Pain Research, University of Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Claus Vögele
- Institute for Health and Behaviour, INSIDE, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg; Research Group of Health Psychology, KU Leuven, Belgium
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12
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Symptoms and the body: Taking the inferential leap. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 74:185-203. [PMID: 28108416 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between the conscious experience of physical symptoms and indicators of objective physiological dysfunction is highly variable and depends on characteristics of the person, the context and their interaction. This relationship often breaks down entirely in the case of "medically unexplained" or functional somatic symptoms, violating the basic assumption in medicine that physical symptoms have physiological causes. In this paper, we describe the prevailing theoretical approach to this problem and review the evidence pertaining to it. We then use the framework of predictive coding to propose a new and more comprehensive model of the body-symptom relationship that integrates existing concepts within a unifying framework that addresses many of the shortcomings of current theory. We describe the conditions under which a close correspondence between the experience of symptoms and objective physiology might be expected, and when they are likely to diverge. We conclude by exploring some theoretical and clinical implications of this new account.
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13
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Bowler J, Bartholomew K, Kellar I, Mackintosh B, Hoppitt L, Bayliss A. Attentional bias modification for acute experimental pain: A randomized controlled trial of retraining early versus later attention on pain severity, threshold and tolerance. Eur J Pain 2016; 21:112-124. [DOI: 10.1002/ejp.908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J.O. Bowler
- School of Psychology; University of East Anglia; Norwich Norfolk UK
| | - K.J. Bartholomew
- School of Psychology; University of East Anglia; Norwich Norfolk UK
| | - I. Kellar
- School of Psychology; University of Leeds; Leeds UK
| | - B. Mackintosh
- Department of Psychology; University of Essex; Colchester UK
| | - L. Hoppitt
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit; Cambridge UK
| | - A.P. Bayliss
- School of Psychology; University of East Anglia; Norwich Norfolk UK
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14
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Hollins M, Walters S. Experimental hypervigilance changes the intensity/unpleasantness ratio of pressure sensations: evidence for the generalized hypervigilance hypothesis. Exp Brain Res 2016; 234:1377-84. [PMID: 26724932 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-015-4541-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Patients with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia often demonstrate hypervigilance-undue alertness for unpleasant or threatening bodily sensations-as well as enhancement of these sensations. The generalized hypervigilance hypothesis (GHH) of Rollman and colleagues asserts that hypervigilance leads to this perceptual amplification. However, cause-and-effect relationships are difficult to establish in studies using a quasi-experimental design. In the present study, we sought to address this issue by attempting to induce hypervigilance experimentally, in one of two groups to which young, healthy adults had been randomly assigned. Those in the experimental group wrote about the flu and practiced counting their own blinks, breaths, and heartbeats; those in the control group wrote about a neutral topic and counted innocuous lights and sounds. Next, both groups rated the intensity and unpleasantness of pressure sensations (ranging from mild to painful) caused by a series of applications of a weighted rod to the forearm. The intensity/unpleasantness ratio of these ratings was significantly greater in the experimental group, suggesting that induced hypervigilance had caused perceptual amplification that generalized to pressure sensations, which had not been part of the experimental manipulation. Psychometric measures of anxiety and catastrophizing were equivalent in the two groups, indicating that the experimental manipulation operated via attentional rather than emotional changes. The results support the GHH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hollins
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, CB# 3270, Davie Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Sloan Walters
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, CB# 3270, Davie Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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