[Peculiarities of cognitive functions in patients with chronic back pain]

The authors have studied cognitive functions and influencing factors in 64 patients with chronic low back pain. All patients have been examined using neurologic, neuroorthopedic, pathopsychological and neuropsychological methods. Patients have been divided into 2 groups according to their age: group 1 (aged 30-50 years) and group 2 (aged 51-60 years). Healthy controls were matched to patients for age, sex and education. Significant differences in neuropsychological testing, i.e. mental flexibility, delayed memory, psychomotor speed, which referred to the subtle cognitive impairment with executive function disturbances, were found in both groups of patients with chronic low back pain as compared to pain-free adults. Sensory-discriminative (pain intensity) and affective-emotional (negative emotions, in particular, anxiety) characteristics had the effect on cognitive functions in younger patients without depressive symptoms. Affective-emotional (anxiety, psychological distress) and cognitive characteristics (i.e. catastrophising) contributed to the cognitive disturbances in older patients.