JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS
AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
A&A International Anesthesia Research Society
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a colleague
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (11)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dick, B. D.
Right arrow Articles by Rashiq, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dick, B. D.
Right arrow Articles by Rashiq, S.

Anesth Analg 2007;104:1223-1229
© 2007 International Anesthesia Research Society
doi: 10.1213/01.ane.0000263280.49786.f5


PAIN MEDICINE

Disruption of Attention and Working Memory Traces in Individuals with Chronic Pain

Bruce D. Dick, PhD*{dagger}{ddagger}, and Saifudin Rashiq, MB, MSc, FRCPC*{ddagger}

From the Departments of *Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and {dagger}Psychiatry, University of Alberta; and {ddagger}Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Bruce D. Dick, PhD, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, 8-120 Clinical Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2B7. Address e-mail to bruce.dick{at}ualberta.ca.

BACKGROUND: Research has found that chronic pain disrupts attention and that this disruption can lead to significant functional impairment and decreased quality of life. We conducted the present study to examine how attention and memory are disrupted by chronic pain.

METHODS: Computerized tests of working memory were given to participants with chronic pain along with a neuropsychological test of attention before and after procedures resulting in analgesia.

RESULTS: Two-thirds of participants with chronic pain had scores in the clinically impaired range on attentional tasks. These results were independent of age, education level, sleep disruption, and pain relief. Medication use was also recorded and is reported to account for potential effects of medication on task performance. Those participants with the highest level of impairment had significantly greater difficulties in maintaining a memory trace during a challenging test of working memory.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings point to a specific cognitive mechanism, the maintenance of the memory trace, that is affected by chronic pain during task performance. Cognitive function was not improved by short-term local analgesia.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J Law Med EthicsHome page
R. C. Tait
Vulnerability in clinical research with patients in pain: a risk analysis.
J. Law Med. Ethics, March 1, 2009; 37(1): 59 - 72.
[PDF]


Home page
Anesth. Analg.Home page
Z. S. Tabboush
Fitness of Patients in Pain to Make Optimal Decisions
Anesth. Analg., February 1, 2008; 106(2): 669 - 669.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Anesth. Analg.Home page
B. Dick
Fitness of Patients in Pain to Make Optimal Decisions
Anesth. Analg., February 1, 2008; 106(2): 669 - 670.
[Full Text] [PDF]




Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999 HighWire Press
Copyright © 2007 by the International Anesthesia Research Society.