Boselie Jantine J L M, Vancleef Linda M G, Peters Madelon L
Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
Scand J Pain. 2016 Jul;12:25-32. doi: 10.1016/j.sjpain.2016.03.001. Epub 2016 Mar 24.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pain can interrupt and deteriorate executive task performance. We have previously shown that experimentally induced optimism can diminish the deteriorating effect of cold pressor pain on a subsequent working memory task (i.e., operation span task). In two successive experiments we sought further evidence for the protective role of optimism on pain-induced working memory impairments. We used another working memory task (i.e., 2-back task) that was performed either after or during pain induction.
Study 1 employed a 2 (optimism vs. no-optimism)×2 (pain vs. no-pain)×2 (pre-score vs. post-score) mixed factorial design. In half of the participants optimism was induced by the Best Possible Self (BPS) manipulation, which required them to write and visualize about a life in the future where everything turned out for the best. In the control condition, participants wrote and visualized a typical day in their life (TD). Next, participants completed either the cold pressor task (CPT) or a warm water control task (WWCT). Before (baseline) and after the CPT or WWCT participants working memory performance was measured with the 2-back task. The 2-back task measures the ability to monitor and update working memory representation by asking participants to indicate whether the current stimulus corresponds to the stimulus that was presented 2 stimuli ago. Study 2 had a 2 (optimism vs. no-optimism)×2 (pain vs. no-pain) mixed factorial design. After receiving the BPS or control manipulation, participants completed the 2-back task twice: once with painful heat stimulation, and once without any stimulation (counter-balanced order). Continuous heat stimulation was used with temperatures oscillating around 1°C above and 1°C below the individual pain threshold.
In study 1, the results did not show an effect of cold pressor pain on subsequent 2-back task performance. Results of study 2 indicated that heat pain impaired concurrent 2-back task performance. However, no evidence was found that optimism protected against this pain-induced performance deterioration.
Experimentally induced pain impairs concurrent but not subsequent working memory task performance. Manipulated optimism did not counteract pain-induced deterioration of 2-back performance.
It is important to explore factors that may diminish the negative impact of pain on the ability to function in daily life, as pain itself often cannot be remediated. We are planning to conduct future studies that should shed further light on the conditions, contexts and executive operations for which optimism can act as a protective factor.
背景/目的：疼痛会干扰并损害执行任务的表现。我们之前已经表明，实验诱导的乐观情绪可以减轻冷压痛对后续工作记忆任务（即运算广度任务）的恶化影响。在两个连续的实验中，我们寻求进一步证据证明乐观情绪对疼痛引起的工作记忆损害的保护作用。我们使用了另一个工作记忆任务（即2-回溯任务），该任务在疼痛诱导后或诱导过程中进行。
研究1采用2（乐观情绪组与无乐观情绪组）×2（疼痛组与无疼痛组）×2（得分前与得分后）混合因子设计。在一半参与者中，通过最佳可能自我（BPS）操作诱导乐观情绪，要求他们写下并想象未来一切都朝着最好的方向发展的生活。在对照条件下，参与者写下并想象他们生活中的一个典型日子（TD）。接下来，参与者完成冷压痛任务（CPT）或温水对照任务（WWCT）。在CPT或WWCT之前（基线）和之后，用2-回溯任务测量参与者的工作记忆表现。2-回溯任务通过要求参与者指出当前刺激是否与两个刺激之前呈现的刺激相对应来测量监测和更新工作记忆表征的能力。研究2采用2（乐观情绪组与无乐观情绪组）×2（疼痛组与无疼痛组）混合因子设计。在接受BPS或对照操作后，参与者完成两次2-回溯任务：一次在有疼痛热刺激的情况下，一次在没有任何刺激的情况下（平衡顺序）。使用持续热刺激，温度在个体疼痛阈值上下1°C左右波动。
在研究1中，结果未显示冷压痛对后续2-回溯任务表现有影响。研究2的结果表明，热痛损害了同时进行的2-回溯任务表现。然而，没有发现证据表明乐观情绪能防止这种由疼痛引起的表现恶化。
实验诱导的疼痛损害同时进行的但不损害后续的工作记忆任务表现。操纵的乐观情绪并未抵消疼痛引起的2-回溯表现的恶化。
探索可能减少疼痛对日常生活功能能力负面影响的因素很重要，因为疼痛本身往往无法消除。我们计划进行未来的研究，以进一步阐明乐观情绪可作为保护因素的条件、背景和执行操作。
