Cognitive impairment in patients with chronic pain: the significance of stress

This review article examines the role of emotional distress and other aspects of suffering in the cognitive impairment that often is apparent in patients with chronic pain. Research suggests that pain-related negative emotions and stress potentially impact cognitive functioning independent of the ef...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current pain and headache reports 2003-04, Vol.7 (2), p.116-126
Main Authors: Hart, Robert P, Wade, James B, Martelli, Michael F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brain - physiopathology
Chronic Disease
Cognition Disorders - etiology
Cognition Disorders - physiopathology
Cognition Disorders - psychology
Cognitive ability
Humans
Pain
Pain - complications
Pain - physiopathology
Pain - psychology
Stress, Psychological - complications
Stress, Psychological - physiopathology
Stress, Psychological - psychology
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Summary:This review article examines the role of emotional distress and other aspects of suffering in the cognitive impairment that often is apparent in patients with chronic pain. Research suggests that pain-related negative emotions and stress potentially impact cognitive functioning independent of the effects of pain intensity. The anterior cingulate cortex is likely an integral component of the neural system that mediates the impact of pain-related distress on cognitive functions, such as the allocation of attentional resources. A maladaptive physiologic stress response is another plausible cause of cognitive impairment in patients with chronic pain, but a direct role for dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis has not been systematically investigated.
ISSN:1531-3433
1534-3081
DOI:10.1007/s11916-003-0021-5