title: Predictors of neurocognitive performance in chronic pain patients.
abstract: In a sample of 70 chronic pain patients, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were utilized to assess the additive and interactive contributions of pain severity and psychological distress variables to neurocognitive performance across attention and concentration, memory, and reasoning ability domains. Although the full model predicting attention and concentration was found to be significant, there was no significant contribution of pain severity, psychological distress, or the Pain Severity x Psychological Distress interaction to the prediction of attention and concentration scores after controlling for the effect of years of formal education. After controlling for the effect of years of formal education, pain severity and psychological distress did make separate and significant contributions to the prediction of memory scores; however, the Pain Severity x Psychological Distress interaction did not significantly affect memory scores. After controlling for the effect of years of formal education, there was no significant contribution of pain severity, psychological distress, or the Pain Severity x Psychological Distress interaction to reasoning ability scores. Results suggest the importance of assessing memory function when managing psychologically distressed chronic pain patients.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Medicine Service, London Health Sciences Centre, Victoria Campus, 375 South Street, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 4G5. tony.iezzi@lhsc.on.ca
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iezzi
authors.forename: Melanie P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Duckworth
authors.forename: Lieu N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Vuong
authors.forename: Yvonne M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Archibald
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klinck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003071:Cognition / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000145:classification* / Q000209:etiology