Photo Credit: Ilya Lukichev

A retrospective study on chronic low back pain patients reveals intriguing associations between cognitive processes (such as pain absorption, acceptance, and focus), pain intensity, pain interference, and depression.

The following is a summary of “Moderating Effects of Cognitive Processes on Pain-Related Outcomes,” published in the January 2024 issue of Pain by Torres et al.

While the impact of pain-related thoughts on chronic pain is well-established, an investigation into how individuals think about pain itself (e.g., acceptance, judgment, focus) and its influence on adjustment remains less explored.

Researchers performed a retrospective study to explore the connections between cognitive processes, pain, pain interference, and depression.

The study utilized baseline data from a clinical trial involving participants with chronic low back pain (N = 327).

The results showed several cognitive processes significantly associated with pain intensity, considering catastrophizing. The observed pattern of associations differed from the expected. Pain absorption was linked considerably to pain interference, and nine out of 10 cognitive processes showed significant associations with depression, considering catastrophizing. In each instance, processes believed to be adaptive had negative associations with pain interference and depression, while maladaptive processes demonstrated the opposite pattern. These findings, though consistent, need to conclusively establish the role of cognitive processes in adjusting to chronic pain, given the cross-sectional nature of the data.

Investigators concluded that due to the intriguing association found between cognitive processes, pain, and depression, future longitudinal and experimental studies should explore the causal nature of these connections.

Source: jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(24)00357-2/fulltext