Pain Catastrophizing and EEG-Alpha Asymmetry

Clin J Pain, 2015 · DOI: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000182 · Published: October 1, 2015

Physiology Mental Health Pain Management

Simple Explanation

Pain catastrophizing, which involves exaggerating the threat of pain, is linked to negative outcomes in chronic pain patients. This study explores biological factors contributing to catastrophizing, focusing on brain activity asymmetry. The anterior asymmetry and emotion (AAE) model suggests that greater left anterior brain activity is associated with approach responses, while more right anterior activity relates to withdrawal. This study investigates if brain asymmetry can predict future pain catastrophizing. The study found that individuals with greater left anterior brain activity, compared to right, were less likely to catastrophize about pain two years later. This suggests a biological component may influence vulnerability to pain-related catastrophizing.

Study Duration

2 Years

Participants

30 individuals with spinal cord injury

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Anterior asymmetry scores reflecting greater left than right anterior activity were negatively associated with subsequent catastrophizing.
2
Almost all (11 of 12 coefficients, or 92%) of the correlation coefficients were negative
3
The number of negative associations found (92%) was statistically significantly more frequent than would be expected if there were no association between anterior asymmetry and subsequent catastrophizing in the population (50%, p = .006).

Research Summary

This study investigates the relationship between anterior brain asymmetry (FAA) and future pain-related catastrophizing in individuals with spinal cord injury. The AAE model suggests that greater left anterior activity is linked to approach responses, while greater right anterior activity is linked to withdrawal responses. The study found that individuals with greater left anterior brain activity were less likely to catastrophize about pain two years later. This finding suggests a potential biological factor associated with vulnerability to pain-related catastrophizing. The study identifies a possible biological correlate of catastrophizing, which is consistent with a neurophysiological model of behavioral activation/inhibition. The findings also have important implications for the development and evaluation of novel approaches that might enhance the efficacy of treatments that target changes in catastrophizing.

Practical Implications

Targeted Treatments

Findings may inform new treatments influencing factors contributing to catastrophizing, increasing responses to pain interventions.

Enhancing CBT Efficacy

Increasing FAA prior to CBT targeting catastrophizing may enhance CBT response.

Neuromodulatory Interventions

Interventions influencing brain activity (lateralized exercises, neurofeedback, brain stimulation, meditation) could potentially enhance FAA and prepare patients for CBT.

Study Limitations

1
The sample size of 29 is relatively small, which can lead to both decreased reliability of the statistics obtained as well as a decreased ability to detect true associations.
2
The study upon which these findings are based was not specifically designed to test the FAA hypothesis.
3
We were therefore not able to evaluate whether (and to what extent) FAA is associated with concurrent catastrophizing.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Physiology