scholarly journals Impaired Discriminative Function in Patients with Chronic Pain Measured by Variance in Straight Leg Raising

1996 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 146-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Marie Hoirch ◽  
Vicky Smith ◽  
Sophie Beugnot ◽  
Joanne Turner ◽  
Richard FH Catchlove
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
The State ◽  
Exercise Programs ◽  
Feedback Mechanisms ◽  
End Point ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Chronic Pain Patients ◽  
Straight Leg Raising ◽  
Discriminative Function ◽  
Pain Patients

Many chronic pain patients seem to have difficulty regulating exercise programs and require detailed, precise instructions of what exercises to do as well as their frequency and timing. This may be due to a lack of information concerning the state of the damaged tissues, which may result from inadequate feedback mechanisms for pain, stretch and position. The straight leg raising test was used as a model of this mechanism, and variance in targeting the end-point of this test was measured in patients with chronic pain and in controls. Variance about the end-point in chronic pain patients was more than three times larger than that in controls. Although chronic pain patients were older, there was no correlation between straight leg raising and age. The implications of these findings to the maintenance of the original injury and the importance of this in the maintenance and continuation of chronic pain states are discussed.

scholarly journals Characterizing the demographics of chronic pain patients in the state of Maine using the Maine all payer claims database

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Malon ◽  
Parth Shah ◽  
Woon Yuen Koh ◽  
Gary Cattabriga ◽  
Edward Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
The State ◽  
Claims Database ◽  
Chronic Pain Patients ◽  
Pain Patients

Pain Influences Several Levels of Attention

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 235-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid von Bueren Jarchow ◽  
Bogdan P. Radanov ◽  
Lutz Jäncke
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Divided Attention ◽  
Covert Attention ◽  
Attention Task ◽  
Attentional Deficits ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Chronic Pain Patients ◽  
Divided Attention Task ◽  
Pain Stimuli ◽  
Pain Patients

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine to what extent chronic pain has an impact on various attentional processes. To measure these attention processes a set of experimental standard tests of the “Testbatterie zur Aufmerksamkeitsprüfung” (TAP), a neuropsychological battery testing different levels of attention, were used: alertness, divided attention, covert attention, vigilance, visual search, and Go-NoGo tasks. 24 chronic outpatients and 24 well-matched healthy control subjects were tested. The control subjects were matched for age, gender, and education. The group of chronic pain patients exhibited marked deficiencies in all attentional functions except for the divided attention task. Thus, the data supports the notion that chronic pain negatively influences attention because pain patients` attention is strongly captivated by the internal pain stimuli. Only the more demanding divided attention task has the capability to distract the focus of attention to the pain stimuli. Therefore, the pain patients are capable of performing within normal limits. Based on these findings chronic pain patients' attentional deficits should be appropriately evaluated and considered for insurance and work related matters. The effect of a successful distraction away from the pain in the divided attention task can also open new therapeutic aspects.

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