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This study is to explore the function of working memory (WM) and autobiographical memory (AM) in patients with chronic pain. Totally, 331 patients with chronic pain and 333 healthy controls were recruited. These subjects were subjected to assessment with Pain Assessment Protocol (PAP), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Working Memory Index (WMI) and Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT). Patients with chronic pain scored significantly lower in WMI and higher in overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) of AMT. Chronic pain was significantly negatively related with WM and positively related with OGM. The structural equation model indicated that WM mediated the relationship of chronic pain and OGM. These findings suggest that WM and AM are impaired in the patients with chronic pain,,chronic pain is closely related with OGM, and WM acts an important mediating role between chronic pain and OGM.

Objective: This study provides a comprehensive review of the literature on memory impairment and the potential effective factors in patients with chronic pain., Methods: A literature search of databases PubMed, EMBASE, SpringerLink, and PsycINFO until September 2012 was conducted using the keywords ‘memory’ and ‘chronic pain’. The study emphasises on publications over the past 20 years., Results: Memory impairment in chronic pain patients is substantial, but the aspects of memory (e.g. working memory, long-term memory, and autobiographical memory) in chronic pain patients and the potentially related factors (e.g. age, level of education, pain conditions, emotion, neural network, and use of analgesics) are modest. Memory impairment is interpreted with the attention-narrowing hypothesis and the capacity-reduction hypothesis., Conclusions: The currently available data and theory have explained memory impairment in chronic pain patients, but many controversies remain. Future research should focus on the subclinical characteristics of chronic pain, enlarging the sample size, and emphasise on the experimental intervention method and the cognitive neuroscience method.

Objective: Overgenerality and delay of the retrieval of autobiographical memory (AM) are well documented in a range of clinical conditions, particularly in patients with emotional disorder. The present study extended the investigation to chronic pain, attempting to identify whether the retrieval of AM in patients with chronic pain tends to be overgeneral or delayed., Design: With an observational cross-sectional design, we evaluated the AM both in patients with chronic pain and healthy controls by Autobiographical Memory Test. Pain conditions were assessed using the pain diagnostic protocol, the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ). Emotion was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory., Subjects and Settings: Subjects included 176 outpatients with chronic pain lasting for at least 6 months and 170 healthy controls., Results: 1) Compared with the healthy group, the chronic pain group had more overgeneral memories (OGMs) (F = 29.061, P < 0.01) and longer latency (F = 13.602, P < 0.01). 2) In the chronic pain group, the stepwise multiple regression models for variables predicting OGM were significant (P < 0.01). Specifically, the variance in OGM scores could be predicted by the BDI score (9.7%), pain chronicity (4.3%), PSEQ score (7.1%), and Affective Index (of SF-MPQ) score (2.7%). 3) In the chronic pain group, the stepwise multiple regression models for variables predicting latency were significant (P < 0.05). Specifically, the variance in latency could be predicted by age (3.1%), pain chronicity (2.7%), pain duration (4.3%), and PSEQ score (2.0%)., Conclusions: The retrieval of AM in patients with chronic pain tends to be overgeneral and delayed, and the retrieval style of AM may be contributed to negative emotions and chronic pain conditions., (Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)