title: Recalling pain experienced during a colonoscopy: pain expectation and variability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the relationship between participants' expected levels of pain intensity before a colonoscopy, pain intensity experienced while they were undergoing this medical procedure (real-time pain), and their retrospective evaluation of this experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  Correlational design. Regression analyses were performed and mediational models were tested.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety patients who were about to undergo a colonoscopy were asked to report the pain intensity on a scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (extreme pain). They reported the expected intensity of pain before the examination, their real-time intensity of pain every 60 s during the colonoscopy, and their global retrospective evaluation of the pain experienced when the procedure was over.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results confirmed that, regardless of participants' gender, the variability of the real-time pain distribution was a significant predictor of the accuracy of recall (i.e. the discrepancy between recalled pain and mean real-time pain). Moreover, participants' pain expectations preceding the examination were a significant predictor of the accuracy of recall. It was further demonstrated that the effect of patients' expectations on the discrepancy was mediated by the real-time pain variability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study provide useful indications about what the target of interventions aimed at reducing the bias in pain recall should be.
authors: University of Padova, Italy. teresa.gavaruzzi@unipd.it
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Gavaruzzi
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Carnaghi
authors: Lorella
authors: L
authors: Lotto
authors: Rino
authors: R
authors: Rumiati
authors: Tamara
authors: T
authors: Meggiato
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Polato
authors: Franca
authors: F
authors: De Lazzari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012718:Set, Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors