Attentional bias and its temporal dynamics among war veterans suffering from chronic pain: Investigating the contribution of post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Anxiety
/ complications
Attentional Bias
Case-Control Studies
Chronic Pain
/ complications
Cues
Emotions
Facial Expression
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Reaction Time
Self Report
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
/ complications
Stress, Psychological
/ complications
Veterans
/ psychology
Young Adult
Attentional bias
Chronic pain
Dot-probe task
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Trial-level bias score
Veterans
Journal
Journal of anxiety disorders
ISSN: 1873-7897
Titre abrégé: J Anxiety Disord
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 8710131
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Aug 2019
Aug 2019
Historique:
received:
02
06
2018
revised:
01
07
2019
accepted:
11
07
2019
pubmed:
9
8
2019
medline:
1
7
2020
entrez:
9
8
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Cognitive models propose that attentional dysregulation, including an attentional bias towards threat, is one of the factors through which chronic pain and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) maintain and exacerbate one another. The current investigation assessed the attentional bias for painful facial expressions and its relationship with PTSS, using both traditional and variability-based attentional bias measures, among veterans with chronic pain and PTSS and controls. Fifty-four veterans with chronic pain and 30 age/education-matched controls participated in this investigation. Participants completed a self-report measure of PTSS and a modified version of the dot-probe task with painful, happy, and neutral facial expressions. Attention was assessed using both traditional and variability-based reaction time measures of attentional bias. Veterans directed attention away from painful facial expressions (i.e., avoidance) relative to both the control group (between-subject effect) and relative to neutral faces (within-subject effect). Veterans also showed significantly elevated attentional bias variability for both happy and painful facial expressions compared to controls. Attentional bias variability for happy and painful facial expressions was correlated with PTSS among all participants. Veterans with chronic pain and PTSS avoided pain-related stimuli and displayed an overall attentional dysregulation for emotional facial expressions. Avoidance of pain cues may be a coping strategy that these individuals develop under stressful conditions. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Cognitive models propose that attentional dysregulation, including an attentional bias towards threat, is one of the factors through which chronic pain and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) maintain and exacerbate one another. The current investigation assessed the attentional bias for painful facial expressions and its relationship with PTSS, using both traditional and variability-based attentional bias measures, among veterans with chronic pain and PTSS and controls.
METHOD
METHODS
Fifty-four veterans with chronic pain and 30 age/education-matched controls participated in this investigation. Participants completed a self-report measure of PTSS and a modified version of the dot-probe task with painful, happy, and neutral facial expressions. Attention was assessed using both traditional and variability-based reaction time measures of attentional bias.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Veterans directed attention away from painful facial expressions (i.e., avoidance) relative to both the control group (between-subject effect) and relative to neutral faces (within-subject effect). Veterans also showed significantly elevated attentional bias variability for both happy and painful facial expressions compared to controls. Attentional bias variability for happy and painful facial expressions was correlated with PTSS among all participants.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Veterans with chronic pain and PTSS avoided pain-related stimuli and displayed an overall attentional dysregulation for emotional facial expressions. Avoidance of pain cues may be a coping strategy that these individuals develop under stressful conditions. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31394483
pii: S0887-6185(18)30222-6
doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2019.102115
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
102115Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.