Features of the cognitive component of chronic pain in young people with vertebral dorsalgia

Abstract

Objective: to identify the presence and characteristics of the cognitive component of pain in young patients suffering from chronic dorsalgia. Material and methods: 97 patients with chronic vertebral pain syndromes of the cervicobrachial (50 patients) and lumbosacral localization (47 patients) and 20 healthy individuals in the control group. Pain assessment was carried out using Visual Analogue Scale, MMSE, Luria’s tests. It was shown, that the examined patients had cognitive impairment in the form of decrease in the concentration of attention and difficulties in the mental activity, more pronounced in patients with pain syndromes of the cervicobrachial localization. The severity of cognitive dysfunction is more associated with the severity of the muscle-tonic syndrome than with the intensity of pain. Cognitive impairment in patients with chronic back pain depends on the degree of muscle tonic syndrome pain intensity. Keywords: cognitive impairment, chronic back pain