The disruptive effects of pain on the early allocation of attentional resources: An attentional blink study

Jones, Scott P.; Walsh, Joseph

Abstract

Background: Recent evidence suggests that pain dampens attentional processes. However, much of this work has been based on higher-order attentional tasks that involve only spatial attention. Other aspects of the process through which pain engages and holds attention are relatively understudied, in particular, temporal attention. The present set of studies explored how naturally occurring pain (i.e. acute headache) and pain-valenced stimuli affect the ability to recall the second of two targets presented in rapid succession. Methods: Across both experiments participants were required to indicate the presence of a predefined probe (T2) and, in the dual task, identify a target (T1). The probe (T2) was placed in three different temporal proximities (ranging from 70 to 1000ms) following presentation of the target (T1). In Experiment 1, 36 participants completed a task that comprised a rapid stream of letters. Experiment 2 manipulated the threat value, and the complexity, of the stimuli by replacing letters with words. In the dual task condition, T1 was a word from one of four valence categories (neutral, positive, negative, pain). Results: Being in acute pain reduced the accuracy of identification. This reduction in performance occurred regardless of the temporal positioning of the probe, consistent with previous work that suggests pain has an overall dampening effect. Furthermore, when the valence category of the word was pain-related, T2 accuracy performance was negatively affected. Conclusion: These findings add to the previous evidence that pain has a general dampening effect on attention and that pain-related stimuli are difficult to disengage from. Significance: Pain captures attention to allow cognate resources to be directed appropriately in response. However, the temporal effects of this attentional capture are poorly understood. Findings indicate that acute headache pain has a negative impact on participants’ performance when identifying the second of two targets presented in close temporal proximity, and that pain-valenced stimuli exacerbate this effect. These findings demonstrate how pain affects early attention and highlights the potential role of disengagement, rather than orientation, of attention in the pain experience.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 25, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jun 29, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-11
• Deposit Date: Sep 23, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 21, 2021
• Journal: European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom)
• Print ISSN: 1090-3801
• Electronic ISSN: 1532-2149
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 10
• Pages: 2202-2211
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.1833
• Keywords: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7831122
• Additional Information: Received: 2020-12-04; Accepted: 2021-06-25; Published: 2021-07-16