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Related Experiment Videos

Memory for pain: relation between past and present pain intensity.

Eric Eich1, John L Reeves, Bernadette Jaeger

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Y7 Canada Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024 U.S.A.

Pain
|December 1, 1985
PubMed
Summary

Present pain intensity significantly distorts memory of past pain. High current pain leads to remembering past pain as more severe, while low current pain leads to remembering it as less severe.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Research

Background:

  • Memory for physical pain intensity is crucial for understanding pain perception.
  • Previous research has shown inconsistencies regarding pain memory accuracy.
  • The influence of current pain levels on recalling past pain intensity is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how current pain intensity affects memory of past pain.
  • To determine if present pain causes systematic distortions in pain memory.
  • To resolve conflicting findings in the pain literature regarding memory recall.

Main Methods:

  • Patients with chronic myofascial headaches were studied.
  • Pain recall (maximum, usual, minimum levels) was compared to hourly pain diary entries.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparisons were made under conditions of high and low present pain intensity.

    • Main Results:

    • When current pain was high, patients overestimated past pain intensity compared to diary records.
    • When current pain was low, patients underestimated past pain intensity compared to diary records.
    • Pain intensity significantly and systematically distorted memory of prior pain experiences.

    Conclusions:

    • Pain significantly alters memory recall, similar to mood and affect alterations.
    • Current pain intensity is a critical factor in the subjective memory of past pain.
    • Findings provide a framework for understanding memory distortions in chronic pain conditions.