Patric Meyer1, Anke Karl2, Herta Flor1. 1. Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany. 2. Mood Disorders Centre, College for Life and Environmental Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, United Kingdom.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Cognitive-behavioral models highlight the role of learning and memory biases in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. However, the extent to which a memory bias is a consequence of the clinical state of being a chronic pain subject is unknown. This article presents a study which delineates the influence of chronic and acute pain on autobiographical memory retrieval. METHODS: 16 healthy controls and 16 individuals with chronic pain participated in an autobiographical memory task during two sessions (a current pain and a pain-free session for the chronic pain subjects) and received neutral words that served as a cue for the retrieval of past life events. RESULTS: The valence of remembered life events in individuals with chronic pain was more negative when they were in pain compared to pain-free states. Conversely, both groups did not differ in their ratings of the reported memories during the pain-free condition. In addition, no significant relationship between mood and the valence of retrieved memories was found. CONCLUSIONS: The present data demonstrate that current pain but not chronic pain per se can exert specific influences on remembering in participants with chronic pain. This memory bias could be a predisposition for the development of chronic pain but could also be a pain-maintaining consequence of painful experiences. This should be addressed in longitudinal studies. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
OBJECTIVES: Cognitive-behavioral models highlight the role of learning and memory biases in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. However, the extent to which a memory bias is a consequence of the clinical state of being a chronic pain subject is unknown. This article presents a study which delineates the influence of chronic and acute pain on autobiographical memory retrieval. METHODS: 16 healthy controls and 16 individuals with chronic pain participated in an autobiographical memory task during two sessions (a current pain and a pain-free session for the chronic pain subjects) and received neutral words that served as a cue for the retrieval of past life events. RESULTS: The valence of remembered life events in individuals with chronic pain was more negative when they were in pain compared to pain-free states. Conversely, both groups did not differ in their ratings of the reported memories during the pain-free condition. In addition, no significant relationship between mood and the valence of retrieved memories was found. CONCLUSIONS: The present data demonstrate that current pain but not chronic pain per se can exert specific influences on remembering in participants with chronic pain. This memory bias could be a predisposition for the development of chronic pain but could also be a pain-maintaining consequence of painful experiences. This should be addressed in longitudinal studies. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.