Does pain confound interpretation of neuropsychological test results?

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that pain and related problems (e.g., affective distress, sleep disturbance, medication use) can interfere with cognitive performance and confound the interpretation of neuropsychological test results. This may be of particular concern in cases of the persistent post-concussive syndrome where headache is the primary problem. Such effects can be pronounced, obscuring the effects associated with mild or even much more significant brain injury. However, it remains unclear what specific chronic or acute pain experiences, in what individuals, with or without which associated problems, will actually result in particular performance deficits. Whereas pain may disrupt brain function, this is likely to be temporary and not indicative of permanent impairment of neuropsychological function. Further study of this important topic is warranted.