Memory of pain and affect associated with migraine and non-migraine headaches.

The main aims of this study were to assess memory of pain and pain-related affect in headache sufferers and to compare the pain memories of individuals who suffer from migraines and those who experience non-migraine headaches. A total of 313 women participated in the study, 86 of whom had a diagnosis of migraine headache. The women rated their state anxiety about having a headache, the intensity and unpleasantness of headache pain, and their emotions while actually experiencing a headache. Either three or six months later, the participants were asked to recall their state anxiety, the intensity and unpleasantness of pain, and the emotions they had felt. Regardless of the length of recall delay or migraine diagnosis, participants accurately remembered both pain intensity and unpleasantness. Together, recalled anxiety, experienced pain and recalled positive affect were the most important predictors of memories for headache, accounting for 41% and 37% of the total variance in recalled pain intensity and unpleasantness, respectively. However, participants overestimated recalled positive and negative affect. The effect of recalled affect on memory of headache, together with the overestimation of recalled affect, suggests that although memory of headache is accurate, it is influenced by distorted memories of affect.

The effect of affect on memory of pain induced by tooth restoration.

OBJECTIVE: Memories of dental pain may influence both subsequent pain experiences during dental treatment and future decisions about whether to go to a dentist. The main aims of this study were to assess memory of pain and pain-related affect induced by tooth restoration. METHODS: A total of 39 women who underwent tooth restoration rated their state anxiety before dental treatment, and the intensity and unpleasantness of pain and the emotions they felt immediately after dental treatment. Either 3 months or 6 months later, the participants were asked to recall their state anxiety, the intensity and unpleasantness of pain and the emotions they had felt. RESULTS: Regardless of the length of recall delay, participants accurately remembered both pain intensity and unpleasantness. Although the state anxiety felt before the pain experience was found to be remembered accurately, the positive affect that accompanied pain was underestimated and the negative affect that accompanied pain was overestimated. Positive affect experienced, state anxiety experienced and recalled state anxiety accounted for 32% and 30%, respectively, of the total variance in recalled intensity and unpleasantness of pain. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that although dental pain is remembered accurately, affective variables, rather than experienced pain, have an effect on memory of pain.