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Memory impairment in chronic pain patients and the related neuropsychological mechanisms: a review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2013

Xianhua Liu ,
Li Li ,
Fanggui Tang ,
Siwei Wu  and
Yiqiu Hu
Xianhua Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, Hunan, China
Li Li
Affiliation:
Psychiatry Institute, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China Psychological Counseling Centre, Guizhou Finance and Economics University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
Fanggui Tang
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, Hunan, China
Siwei Wu
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, Hunan, China
Yiqiu Hu*
Affiliation:
Science Technology Normal College, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, Hunan, China
*
Yiqiu Hu, Science Technology Normal College, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, P. R. China. Tel: +13 574 828338; Fax: +86 734 8484945; E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objective

This study provides a comprehensive review of the literature on memory impairment and the potential effective factors in patients with chronic pain.

Methods

A literature search of databases PubMed, EMBASE, SpringerLink, and PsycINFO until September 2012 was conducted using the keywords ‘memory’ and ‘chronic pain’. The study emphasises on publications over the past 20 years.

Results

Memory impairment in chronic pain patients is substantial, but the aspects of memory (e.g. working memory, long-term memory, and autobiographical memory) in chronic pain patients and the potentially related factors (e.g. age, level of education, pain conditions, emotion, neural network, and use of analgesics) are modest. Memory impairment is interpreted with the attention-narrowing hypothesis and the capacity-reduction hypothesis.

Conclusions

The currently available data and theory have explained memory impairment in chronic pain patients, but many controversies remain. Future research should focus on the subclinical characteristics of chronic pain, enlarging the sample size, and emphasise on the experimental intervention method and the cognitive neuroscience method.

Keywords

chronic painmemoryneuropsychological mechanism
Type
Review Article
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 26 , Issue 4 , August 2014 , pp. 195 - 201
Copyright
Copyright © Scandinavian College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2013 

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