Associations between left/right judgment task performance and psychosocial pain factors in women with fibromyalgia: A...

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition characterized by widespread pain and associated with psychosocial factors such as kinesiophobia and catastrophizing. This study aims to identify psychosocial variables that explain variance in left/right judgment task (LRJ) performance in women with FM and to compare LRJ performance between women with low pain intensity and those with moderate-high pain intensity.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 56 women recruited from a rehabilitation foundation. Pain intensity, kinesiophobia, and catastrophizing were assessed using validated instruments, including the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia. LRJ tasks were performed with Recognise™ software, measuring reaction time (RT) and accuracy (AC). Data were analyzed with multiple linear regression models and Mann-Whitney U tests to examine variables that explained variance in LRJ performance and to compare groups with low versus moderate-high pain intensity.

Age and kinesiophobia significantly explained variance in RT, accounting for up to 10.2 % of the variation. Pain intensity explained 21 % of the variance in AC when combined with age. Significant differences in RT and AC were observed between women with low pain intensity and those with moderate-high pain intensity.

Age, pain intensity, and kinesiophobia influence LRJ performance in women with FM, supporting the hypothesis of an altered body schema in this population. These findings emphasize the need for comprehensive treatment that addresses both physical and psychosocial factors, and suggest that LRJ-based strategies could be further explored as complementary tools in rehabilitation.