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'Postconcussive' symptoms in persons with chronic pain
1Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Brain Injury
|November 14, 1997
Summary
Chronic pain patients frequently report post-concussion-like symptoms, such as fatigue and cognitive issues, even without head injuries. This highlights the need to consider chronic pain when evaluating such complaints.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Pain Medicine
Background:
- Post-concussive symptoms are often associated with mild head injuries.
- However, these symptoms may also occur in other clinical populations.
- Understanding the prevalence of these symptoms in chronic pain is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of cognitive and neurobehavioral complaints in patients with chronic pain.
- To investigate if these symptoms resemble those seen after mild head injuries.
- To differentiate symptoms related to chronic pain from those of head trauma.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 170 patients with chronic pain and no history of head injury was studied.
- Participants completed questionnaires assessing physical, cognitive, and psychological symptoms.
- Symptoms aligning with 'postconcussive-like' criteria were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A wide range of symptom endorsement rates (5%–76.5%) was observed.
- Disturbed sleep, fatigue, and irritability were highly prevalent (>50%).
- Significant minorities reported cognitive issues: forgetfulness (29%), attention difficulties (18%), and concentration problems (16.5%).
- 80.6% endorsed three or more symptoms from DSM-IV Postconcussional Disorder research criteria (Category C).
Conclusions:
- Post-concussive-like symptoms are not exclusive to mild head injuries.
- Chronic pain is a significant factor contributing to these symptoms.
- Clinicians should consider chronic pain as a potential cause when assessing neurobehavioral and cognitive complaints.