Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation Individuals With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

The Effectiveness and Mediators of Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation in the Reduction of Negative Emotional Response to Pain in Individuals With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation (CBM-I) trains participants to interpret ambiguous information as neutral or benign, rather than interpret it as being related to pain. The goal of this randomised controlled trial was to explore the feasibility and potential clinical benefits of CBM-I in people with chronic pain and also healthy, pain-free individuals.

This study investigated whether Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation (CBM-I) could reduce negative emotional response to pain and to pain-related images, and whether reductions in interpretation bias (IB) and fear of pain mediated this effect. Participants with chronic musculoskeletal pain (N = 41) were randomised to benign CBM-I or no CBM-I, and healthy participants (N = 41) were randomised to benign CBM-I or pain-related CBM-I. After CBM-I, the study assessed pain-related IB and fear of pain, as well as negative emotional response to exercise-induced pain and images of musculoskeletal pain.

Chronic pain group Inclusion criteria

• Experience musculoskeletal pain (pain in muscles, bones, joints, tendons, or ligaments) that has lasted for at least the last 3 months before enrolment in the study
• Have visited a healthcare professional for their pain
• Aged 18-70 years
• Normal or corrected to normal vision
• Fluency in the English language Exclusion criteria
• Any known reading difficulty

Healthy group Inclusion criteria

• Aged 18-70 years
• Normal or corrected to normal vision
• Fluency in the English language Exclusion criteria
• Experience frequent or continuous pain for the past three months before enrolment in the study
• Currently experiencing pain
• Any known reading difficulty