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Frumkin MR, Rodebaugh TL. The role of affect in chronic pain: A systematic review of within-person symptom dynamics. J Psychosom Res 2021; 147:110527. [PMID: 34082154 PMCID: PMC9009535 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Chronic pain is conceptualized as a biopsychosocial phenomenon that involves both physical and emotional processes. The vast majority of research regarding these facets of chronic pain characterizes differences between individuals. In this review, we describe problems with assuming that differences between persons accurately characterize within-person processes. We also provide a systematic review of studies that have examined within-person relationships between pain and affect among individuals with chronic pain. METHOD Articles published by December 2020 that pertained to within-person assessment of pain and emotion, affect, or mood were identified. Data regarding study design, adherence, and concurrent and prospective relationships among pain and affect variables were extracted and summarized. RESULTS Of 611 abstracts, 55 studies met inclusion criteria. Results suggest that individuals with chronic pain tend to experience increased negative affect and decreased positive affect when experiencing more severe pain (rpooled = .18 and - .19, respectively). However, the size of these effects appeared smaller than between-person associations, and there was evidence of significant variability between individuals. Examination of predictive relationships between pain and affect largely suggested the tendency of symptoms to predict themselves, rather than pain predicting affect or vice versa. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with group-level relationships, experiencing more severe pain relative to an individual's average seems to be associated with more negative affect and less positive affect. However, individuals vary in the size and even direction of these effects. More research is necessary to understand the implications of such variability for the assessment and treatment of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelyn R. Frumkin
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States,Correspondence regarding this article should be addressed to Madelyn R. Frumkin, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1125, St. Louis, MO 63105. Phone: (314) 935-8627.
| | - Thomas L. Rodebaugh
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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Stone AA, Obbarius A, Junghaenel DU, Wen CK, Schneider S. High-resolution, field approaches for assessing pain: Ecological Momentary Assessment. Pain 2021; 162:4-9. [PMID: 32833794 PMCID: PMC7737856 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur A. Stone
- Dornsife Center for Self-Report Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Alexander Obbarius
- Dornsife Center for Self-Report Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Doerte U. Junghaenel
- Dornsife Center for Self-Report Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Cheng K.F. Wen
- Dornsife Center for Self-Report Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Stefan Schneider
- Dornsife Center for Self-Report Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Gatzounis R, Schrooten MGS, Crombez G, Vlaeyen JWS. Effects of activity interruptions by pain on pattern of activity performance - an experimental investigation. Scand J Pain 2019; 18:109-119. [PMID: 29794288 DOI: 10.1515/sjpain-2017-0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Suspending an ongoing activity with the intention to resume it again later is a natural response to pain. This response facilitates coping with the pain, but it may also have negative consequences for the resumption and performance of the activity. For example, people with pain problems are often forced to take a break from doing their household chores because of their pain. They might delay resuming their chore, eventually needing longer time to finish it. We investigated how activity interruptions by pain influence the pattern of subsequent activity performance. We expected that when an activity is interrupted by pain (compared to non-pain), people spend longer time away from the activity, need longer time to complete it, and are less motivated to perform it. METHODS Sixty healthy volunteers performed an ongoing task that required them to make joystick movements in different directions according to a specific rule. Occasionally, participants received either a painful electrocutaneous stimulus or a non-painful and non-aversive auditory stimulus (between-subjects) as an interruption cue. The interruption cue was followed by the temporary suspension of the ongoing task and the initiation of a different activity (interruption task). The latter required the categorization of cards and had a maximum duration, but participants could also stop it earlier by pressing a button. We measured time away from the (interrupted) ongoing task, total time to complete the ongoing task (including the interruptions) and self-reported motivation to perform both the ongoing as well as the interruption task. RESULTS Groups did not differ in the time away from the ongoing task, total time to complete the ongoing task, or self-reported motivation to perform the two tasks. CONCLUSIONS Activity interruptions by pain did not impair the pattern of activity performance more than activity interruptions by non-pain. Potential explanations and suggestions for future research are discussed. IMPLICATIONS Interrupting ongoing activities is a common response to pain. However, activity interruptions by pain do not appear to influence the pattern of activity performance in a different way than activity interruptions by pain-irrelevant external stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rena Gatzounis
- Research Group Health Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, Box 3726, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, P. O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Martien G S Schrooten
- Centre for Health and Medical Psychology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.,Research Group Health Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Geert Crombez
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Johan W S Vlaeyen
- Research Group Health Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Gatzounis R, Crombez G, S Schrooten MG, S Vlaeyen JW. A break from pain! Interruption management in the context of pain. Pain Manag 2018; 9:81-91. [PMID: 30516435 DOI: 10.2217/pmt-2018-0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity interruptions, namely temporary suspensions of an ongoing task with the intention to resume it later, are common in pain. First, pain is a threat signal that urges us to interrupt ongoing activities in order to manage the pain and its cause. Second, activity interruptions are used in chronic pain management. However, activity interruptions by pain may carry costs for activity performance. These costs have recently started to be systematically investigated. We review the evidence on the consequences of activity interruptions by pain for the performance of the interrupted activity. Further, inspired by literature on interruptions from other research fields, we suggest ways to improve interruption management in the field of pain, and provide a future research agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rena Gatzounis
- Research Group Experimental Health Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.,Research Group Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Belgium
| | - Geert Crombez
- Department of Experimental-Clinical & Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Martien G S Schrooten
- Research Group Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Belgium.,Centre for Health & Medical Psychology, School of Law, Psychology & Social Work, Örebro University, Sweden
| | - Johan W S Vlaeyen
- Research Group Experimental Health Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.,Research Group Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Belgium
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Pitães M, Blais C, Karoly P, Okun MA, Brewer GA. Acute pain disrupts prospective memory cue detection processes. Memory 2018; 26:1450-1459. [PMID: 29962319 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1491602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Prospective memory refers to the planning, retention, retrieval, and execution of intentions for future behaviours and it is integral to the enterprise of daily living. Although prospective memory relies upon retrospective memory and executive processes often disrupted by pain, limited research has explored the influence of acute or chronic pain on the ability to complete prospective memory tasks. In the present study we investigated the influence of acute pain on prospective memory tasks that varied in their demands on executive processes (i.e., non-focal versus focal prospective memory cues). Complex-span working memory tasks were also administered to examine whether individual differences in working memory capacity moderated any negative impact of pain on prospective memory. Acute pain significantly impaired prospective memory performance in conditions that encouraged non-focal strategic processing of prospective memory cues, but not in conditions that encouraged more spontaneous focal processing. Individual differences in working memory capacity did not moderate the effect of acute pain on non-focal prospective memory. These findings provide new insights into prospective memory dysfunction created by painful experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Pitães
- a Department of Psychology , Arizona State University , Tempe , USA
| | - Chris Blais
- a Department of Psychology , Arizona State University , Tempe , USA
| | - Paul Karoly
- a Department of Psychology , Arizona State University , Tempe , USA
| | - Morris A Okun
- a Department of Psychology , Arizona State University , Tempe , USA
| | - Gene A Brewer
- a Department of Psychology , Arizona State University , Tempe , USA
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Gatzounis R, Schrooten MGS, Crombez G, Vancleef LMG, Vlaeyen JWS. Taking a break in response to pain. An experimental investigation of the effects of interruptions by pain on subsequent activity resumption. Scand J Pain 2017; 16:52-60. [PMID: 28850412 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjpain.2017.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 02/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Interrupting ongoing activities with the intention to resume them again later is a natural response to pain. However, such interruptions might have negative consequences for the subsequent resumption and performance of the interrupted activity. Activity interruptions by pain may be more impairing than interruptions by non-painful stimuli, and also be subjectively experienced as such. These effects might be more pronounced in people high in pain catastrophizing. These hypotheses were investigated in two experiments. METHODS In Experiment 1, healthy volunteers (n=24) performed an ongoing task requiring a sequence of joystick movements. Occasionally, they received either a painful electrocutaneous or a non-painful vibrotactile stimulus, followed by suspension of the ongoing task and temporary engagement in a different task (interruption task). After performing the interruption task for 30s, participants resumed the ongoing task. As the ongoing task of Experiment 1 was rather simple, Experiment 2 (n=30) included a modified, somewhat more complex version of the task, in order to examine the effects of activity interruptions by pain. RESULTS Participants made more errors and were slower to initiate movements (Experiment 1 & 2) and to complete movements (Experiment 2) when they resumed the ongoing task after an interruption, indicating that interruptions impaired subsequent performance. However, these impairments were not larger when the interruption was prompted by painful than by non-painful stimulation. Pain catastrophizing did not influence the results. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that activity interruptions by pain have negative consequences for the performance of an activity upon its resumption, but not more so than interruptions by non-painful stimuli. Potential explanations and avenues for future research are discussed. IMPLICATIONS Interrupting ongoing activities is a common response to pain. In two experiments using a novel paradigm we showed that activity interruptions by pain impair subsequent activity resumption and performance. However, this effect seems to not be specific to pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rena Gatzounis
- Research Group Health Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102 box 3726, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Martien G S Schrooten
- Research Group Health Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102 box 3726, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Health and Medical Psychology, Örebro University, Fakultetsgatan 1, 701 82 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Geert Crombez
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linda M G Vancleef
- Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Johan W S Vlaeyen
- Research Group Health Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102 box 3726, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
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