Pain catastrophizing in the elderly: An experimental pain study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Pain Psychology
• Experimental Psychology

Background:

• Pain catastrophizing, a negative cognitive-affective response to pain, has yielded conflicting results regarding age-related differences.
• Limited research exists on pain catastrophizing within the aging population and its impact on pain responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between pain catastrophizing and its components (rumination, magnification, helplessness) in older versus younger healthy adults.
• To compare pain responses to standardized experimental pain stimuli between these age groups.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-six healthy adults (32 older, 34 younger) participated.
• Pain catastrophizing was assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS).
• Experimental pain was induced via pressure stimuli, with pain intensity and unpleasantness rated numerically.

Main Results:

• Older adults reported significantly lower overall pain catastrophizing, rumination, and helplessness scores than younger adults.
• Younger adults were more likely to report high levels of pain catastrophizing.
• Older adults exhibited lower pain intensity and unpleasantness responses to stimuli; pain unpleasantness correlated with catastrophizing, rumination, and helplessness in this group.

Conclusions:

• Older adults demonstrate reduced pain catastrophizing, particularly rumination and helplessness, compared to younger adults.
• The elderly population showed resilience in pain catastrophizing, potentially counteracting pain perception.
• Positive associations between pain unpleasantness and pain catastrophizing components were observed in the elderly.