title: Participant's perception of negative cognition in low back pain: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been theorized that low back pain contributes to the development of negative cognition (negative thinking) which may predispose a person towards chronicity. The objective of this paper is to examine the role of negative cognition in non-depressed participants who have previously experienced low back pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten students enrolled in a course at the University of Kansas were involved in a 4 week educational project. The participants completed self-rated assessments of depression using the 21 item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-21) and the visual analogue pain scale (VAS). The study was broken into 3 phases over 4 weeks. Phase 1 focused on the VAS and the BDI-21 along with questions pertaining to low back pain. Phase 2 included 2 questions with 1 of the questions focusing on common negative distortions. Phase 3 focused on 11 clinical-type questions relating to awareness of negative thinking and chronic low back pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Phase 1 showed that 7 of the students had a history of chronic low back pain while 8 students believed they had negative thoughts when low back pain occurred. Conversely, only 1 student had experienced negative thoughts prior to a low back pain episode. The initial BDI-21 scores demonstrated a mean score of 5.5 with a mean VAS of 5.75. After students were exposed to the idea that they may have negative cognition processes (phase 2), 4 students indicated that they noticed themselves thinking negatively and attempted to alter such processes. Phase 3 results indicated that 4 of the students did attempt to change negative thinking after being made aware that negative thinking could be present.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study showed that a majority of participants believed that a person's negative thoughts can impair a person toward activity yet none of the participants believed that such had occurred to them. Further research in the area of negative cognition and chronic low back pain is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sport and Exercise Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Mirtz
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Thompson
references.citation: J Health Soc Policy. 2002;16(1-2):33-42
references.pmid: 12809376
references.citation: Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2000 Oct 20;120(25):3054-6
references.pmid: 11109397
references.citation: Lakartidningen. 1997 Dec 3;94(49):4612-4, 4617-8
references.pmid: 9445933
references.citation: J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1990 Aug;10(4):269-78
references.pmid: 2149565
references.citation: Spine J. 2001 May-Jun;1(3):198-204
references.pmid: 14588348
references.citation: Depress Anxiety. 2005;21(4):185-92
references.pmid: 16075452
references.citation: Neurosurgery. 1995 Jun;36(6):1101-10; discussion 1110-1
references.pmid: 7643988
references.citation: J Spinal Disord. 1999 Oct;12(5):375-9
references.pmid: 10549699
references.citation: Eur J Pain. 2004 Dec;8(6):525-31
references.pmid: 15531220
references.citation: Pain. 1997 Nov;73(2):213-221
references.pmid: 9415508
references.citation: Pain. 1997 Jul;71(3):257-63
references.pmid: 9231868
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2001 Aug;69(4):655-62
references.pmid: 11550731
references.citation: J Am Board Fam Pract. 2004 Nov-Dec;17 Suppl:S23-31
references.pmid: 15575027
references.citation: Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1996 Feb;77(2):161-4
references.pmid: 8607740
references.citation: Clin J Pain. 1994 Dec;10(4):277-81
references.pmid: 7858356
references.citation: Wien Med Wochenschr. 2000;150(13-14):295-9
references.pmid: 11075430
references.citation: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2001 Jan;16(1):57-63
references.pmid: 11180486
references.citation: Ann Readapt Med Phys. 2005 Feb;48(1):1-10
references.pmid: 15664678
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 1998 Nov;36(11):1051-62
references.pmid: 9737057
references.citation: Pain. 1998 Jun;76(3):287-296
references.pmid: 9718247
references.citation: Psychol Rep. 2004 Jun;94(3 Pt 2):1444-6
references.pmid: 15362431
references.citation: Z Orthop Ihre Grenzgeb. 2004 Mar-Apr;142(2):146-52
references.pmid: 15106058
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 1997 Dec;65(6):911-27
references.pmid: 9420353
references.citation: Clin J Pain. 1996 Jun;12(2):118-25
references.pmid: 8776551
references.citation: Phys Ther. 2004 Dec;84(12):1157-66
references.pmid: 15563256
references.citation: Pain. 1994 Oct;59(1):79-83
references.pmid: 7854806
references.citation: Singapore Med J. 1994 Oct;35(5):519-22
references.pmid: 7701376
references.citation: Eura Medicophys. 2004 Mar;40(1):9-13
references.pmid: 16030488
references.citation: J Pers Assess. 1997 Oct;69(2):392-407
references.pmid: 9392897
references.citation: Pain. 1991 Aug;46(2):177-184
references.pmid: 1749640
references.citation: Pain. 1994 Jun;57(3):301-309
references.pmid: 7936708
references.citation: Altern Ther Health Med. 2004 Mar-Apr;10(2):56-9
references.pmid: 15055095
references.citation: Clin J Pain. 1999 Jun;15(2):117-21
references.pmid: 10382925
references.citation: S Afr Med J. 1995 Aug;85(8):759-62
references.pmid: 8553144
references.citation: Clin J Pain. 1999 Jun;15(2):122-31
references.pmid: 10382926
references.citation: Pain. 2001 Oct;94(1):7-15
references.pmid: 11576740
references.citation: Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2005 Aug;19(4):593-607
references.pmid: 15949778
references.citation: Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1991 Jun;16(6 Suppl):S213-5
references.pmid: 1830701
references.citation: Epilepsia. 2005 May;46(5):731-5
references.pmid: 15857440
references.citation: Nord J Psychiatry. 2004;58(1):49-53
references.pmid: 14985154
references.citation: Braz J Med Biol Res. 2005 Mar;38(3):399-408
references.pmid: 15761620
references.citation: J Behav Med. 2005 Feb;28(1):35-41
references.pmid: 15887874
references.citation: Clin J Pain. 1993 Jun;9(2):104-14
references.pmid: 8358133
references.citation: Ir J Med Sci. 1997 Jul-Sep;166(3):124-6
references.pmid: 9256543
references.citation: Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1999 Feb 20;143(8):385-8
references.pmid: 10221106
references.citation: MMW Fortschr Med. 2001 May 3;143(18):22-5
references.pmid: 11387700
references.citation: Pain. 1993 Nov;55(2):259-266
references.pmid: 8309713
references.citation: Eur Spine J. 2003 Feb;12(1):12-20
references.pmid: 12592542
references.citation: Ther Umsch. 1999 Aug;56(8):431-4
references.pmid: 10483309
references.citation: Clin Rehabil. 2005 Jan;19(1):4-11
references.pmid: 15704503