Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Division of Pediatric Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Transl Behav Med. 2021 Oct 23;11(10):1923-1930. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibab049.
High rates of comorbid chronic pain, anxiety, and mood disorders among individuals with the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS+) are becoming increasingly recognized, though this complex symptomology remains poorly understood and undertreated. The current project examined whether interoceptive attention regulation is protective against depressive and anxiety symptoms in individuals with suspected EDS+. Data were collected from individuals participating in a transdisciplinary diagnostic visit within an EDS+ specialty consultation clinic. Participants were included in the current analyses (n = 49) if they had complete data on the following measures: the PHQ-8, the GAD-7, the Pain Severity subscale from the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory, and the Attention Regulation subscale from the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness. Consistent with expectations, the sample showed high levels of clinically significant anxiety and depressive symptoms. Pain severity ratings were significantly correlated with depressive but not anxiety severity. Moreover, higher levels of perceived interoceptive attention regulation abilities were significantly associated with less severe anxiety and depressive symptoms; however, attention regulation did not moderate the associations of pain with anxiety and depressive symptom severity.
The current project replicated recent findings that pain, anxiety, and depression are common in individuals with EDS+. The ability to focus and control somatic attention appears to be protective and a potential target for interventions in EDS+.
患有埃勒斯-当洛斯综合征（EDS+）的个体中，共患慢性疼痛、焦虑和情绪障碍的比率越来越高，尽管这种复杂的症状仍未得到充分理解和治疗。目前的项目研究了内脏注意调节是否对疑似 EDS+个体的抑郁和焦虑症状具有保护作用。数据来自于在 EDS+专科咨询诊所进行跨学科诊断访问的个体。如果参与者在以下措施上有完整的数据，则包括在当前分析中（n=49）：PHQ-8、GAD-7、来自西港耶鲁多维疼痛量表的疼痛严重程度子量表以及多维内感受意识评估的注意调节子量表。与预期一致，该样本表现出较高水平的临床显著焦虑和抑郁症状。疼痛严重程度评分与抑郁严重程度显著相关，但与焦虑严重程度无关。此外，感知到的内脏注意调节能力越高，焦虑和抑郁症状严重程度越低；然而，注意调节并没有调节疼痛与焦虑和抑郁症状严重程度的关联。
目前的项目复制了最近的发现，即疼痛、焦虑和抑郁在 EDS+个体中很常见。集中和控制躯体注意的能力似乎具有保护作用，并且可能成为 EDS+干预的目标。
