Citation

Hoffman SN, Herbert MS, Crocker LD, DeFord NE, Keller AV, Jurick SM, Sanderson-Cimino M, Jak AJ. J. Head Trauma Rehabil. 2019; 34(4): E61-E66.

Affiliation

Research Service (Mss Hoffman, DeFord, and Keller and Drs Herbert and Crocker) and Psychology Service (Dr Jak), and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (Drs Herbert and Jak), VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California; San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (Ms Jurick and Mr Sanderson-Cimino); Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego (Drs Herbert and Jak); and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston (Ms Jurick).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/HTR.0000000000000453

PMID

30499934

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of pain catastrophizing (PC) in neuropsychological functioning in veterans with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-nine Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans evaluated in the post-acute phase following mild TBI.

METHODS: Participants underwent psychiatric and TBI clinical interviews, neuropsychological tests, and self-report assessments of PC, pain intensity, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Cognitive functioning composite scores of executive functioning, processing speed, and learning and memory were created. Composites were entered as dependent variables into separate linear regressions to examine relations with PC.

RESULTS: Greater PC was associated with worse executive functioning and processing speed even when controlling for confounding variables.

CONCLUSIONS: One's interpretation of pain, in addition to pain intensity, has implications for cognitive functioning. Future research is encouraged to determine whether adaptive pain coping mechanisms improve cognitive functioning or, alternatively, whether cognitive rehabilitation strategies reduce PC.

Language: en