Chronic pain-associated cognitive impairment

The current understanding of the mechanisms of chronic pain (CP) implies the mandatory consideration of not only its properly sensory proper, but also emotional, affective, and cognitive aspects. Cognitive impairment (CI) in patients with different chronic pain syndromes makes a substantial contribution to impairment in daily functioning. In recent years, the ideas about the mechanisms of CI and emotional disorders in this patient group have been considerably extended due to functional neuroimaging investigations. Experimental studies demonstrate that there are changes in both the structures related to pain control and the brain regions responsible for key cognitive functions. These data expand the views of mechanisms for polymorphic clinical symptoms in patients with CP and justify the feasibility of using psychological methods in its combined therapy.