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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2016; 74(05): 361-366
DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X20160071
ARTICLE

Cognitive deficits in chronic pain patients, in a brief screening test, are independent of comorbidities and medication use

Déficits cognitivos em pacientes com dor crçnica, em uma avaliação breve de triagem, são independentes de comorbidades e uso de medicações
Karen dos Santos Ferreira
1   Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Hospital Universitário, Ribeirão Preto SP, Brasil;
2   Centro Universitário Barão de Mauá, Faculdade de Medicina, Ribeirão Preto SP, Brasil.
,
Gabriela Zucatto Oliver
2   Centro Universitário Barão de Mauá, Faculdade de Medicina, Ribeirão Preto SP, Brasil.
,
Débora Carinhato Thomaz
2   Centro Universitário Barão de Mauá, Faculdade de Medicina, Ribeirão Preto SP, Brasil.
,
Caroliny Trevisan Teixeira
2   Centro Universitário Barão de Mauá, Faculdade de Medicina, Ribeirão Preto SP, Brasil.
,
Maria Paula Foss
1   Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Hospital Universitário, Ribeirão Preto SP, Brasil;
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ABSTRACT

Objective To describe and analyze cognitive aspects in patients with chronic pain and a control group without pain.

Method A case-control study was conducted on 45 patients with chronic pain and on 45 control subjects. Data including pain diagnosis, comorbidities and medication used, were evaluated. Cognitive tests, such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Verbal Fluency Test, Clock Drawing Test and Stroop Test, were applied.

Results Patients with chronic pain showed a poorer performance, as shown by the scores of the MoCA test (p < 0.002), Verbal Fluency Test (p < 0.001), Clock Drawing Test (p = 0.022) and Stroop Test (p < 0.000). Chronic pain variable (p = 0.015, linear regression model) was an independent factor for results obtained with the MoCA.

Conclusion Patients with chronic pain showed a poorer performance in a brief screening test for cognitive impairment not related to confounding variables, as comorbidities and pain-medication use.

RESUMO

Objetivo Descrever e analisar aspectos cognitivos em pacientes com dor crçnica e um grupo controle sem dor.

Método Um estudo de caso-controle foi conduzido em 45 pacientes com dor crçnica e 45 controles. Dados incluindo diagnóstico da dor, comorbidades e medicações utilizadas foram avaliados. Foram aplicados testes cognitivos, tais comoMontreal Cognitive Assessment, Teste da Fluência verbal, Teste do relógio e Teste de Stroop.

Resultados Pacientes com dor crçnica apresentaram uma pior performance, em scores do MoCA (p < 0.002), Fluência verbal (p < 0.001), Teste do relógio (p = 0.022) e Stroop (p < 0.000). Dor crçnica (p = 0.015, modelo de regressão linear) foi um fator independente para os piores resultados obtidos no MoCA.

Conclusão Pacientes com dor crçnica apresentaram uma pior performance em uma avaliação breve para comprometimento cognitivo, não relacionada a variáveis confundidoras, como comorbidades e medicações utilizadas para dor.

chronic pain - cognition - memory
dor crçnica - cognição - memória


Publication History

Received: 19 August 2015

Accepted: 01 February 2016

Article published online:
06 September 2023

© 2023. Academia Brasileira de Neurologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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