Key result
Chronic pain was associated with reduced P3a and P3b amplitudes compared to healthy controls, indicating impaired involuntary and voluntary attention.
Why the study?
While the effect of chronic pain on voluntary-directed attention is well-documented, research on its impact on involuntary-directed attention remains incomplete.
Does chronic pain impair involuntary and voluntary allocation of attention compared to healthy controls?
Case-Control (n=66)
Does chronic pain impair involuntary and voluntary allocation of attention compared to healthy controls?
Chronic pain impairs both voluntary and involuntary attentional allocation, as evidenced by reduced P3a and P3b event-related potential amplitudes.
May indicate attentional impairment in chronic pain; hypothesis-generating, requiring larger prospective studies before clinical adoption.
Although the interrupting effect of chronic pain on voluntary-directed attention is well-documented, research on the impact of chronic pain on involuntary-directed attention remains incomplete. This study aimed to investigate the influence of chronic pain on involuntary as well as voluntary allocation of attention as, respectively, indexed by the P3a and P3b components in the event-related potential derived from the electroencephalogram. Both involuntary and voluntary captures of attention were compared between 33 patients with chronic pain and 33 healthy controls using an auditory three-stimulus oddball task (with standard, target, and unexpected distractor tones). The results revealed a reduced P3a amplitude as well as a reduced P3b amplitude in patients with chronic pain compared to healthy controls, indicating a detrimental effect of chronic pain on involuntary and voluntary attention, respectively. This study extends the picture of the impairing effects of chronic pain on attentional allocation to a current task and attentional allocation to information outside the focus of attention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Gubler et al. (2021) conducted a case-control in Chronic pain (n=66). Chronic pain vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Involuntary and voluntary allocation of attention (P3a and P3b amplitudes). Chronic pain was associated with reduced P3a and P3b amplitudes compared to healthy controls, indicating impaired involuntary and voluntary attention.
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