The Association Between Pain Type, Cognition and Complaint After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Prospectively Studied Premorbidly Healthy Adults Admitted to Hospital

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Literature examining the relationship between pain, cognition, and complaint after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has conceptualized and measured pain as a unitary construct. Pain is defined as being multidimensional, however, with both sensory and affective aspects. The current study aimed to determine whether the sensory and affective aspects of pain differentially relate to cognition and complaint. METHOD: Using a prospective observational design, 6-10 weeks after injury, we assessed 60 premorbidly healthy individuals, who were admitted to hospital after an mTBI. Participants were assessed with multidimensional and unitary pain questionnaires, as well as measures of cogniti..