Assessing the effect of pain on demands for attentional resources using ERPs.
Event-related potentials were used as an adjunct to behavioral and self-report measures to examine the impact of pain in a short-term memory-scanning task. P3 amplitude was reduced and a frontal slow wave was increased during pain regardless of the number of items in memory. Results are discussed in terms of pain affecting an attention-switch mechanism.
Houlihan
Michael E
ME
Department of Psychology, 231 Edmund Casey Hall, St. Thomas University, NB, E3B 1P3, Fredericton, Canada. mhoulihan@stu.ca
McGrath
Patrick J
PJ
Connolly
John F
JF
Stroink
Gerhard
G
Allen Finley
G
G
Dick
Bruce
B
Phi
Tan Trao
TT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology