Table 1 Characteristics of the study samples.

From: Brain-behaviour correlates of habitual motivation in chronic back pain

 

Back pain patients

Controls

p value

Number

30

30

–

Age, years; mean (SD)

53 (± 13.21)

47 (± 15.48)

n.s

Sex female; number

9

7

–

Formal education, years; median (range)

12.53 (8–18)

13.21 (8–17)

n.s

Anxiety; mean (range)

40.32 (± 13.41)

29.8 (± 6.56)

 < 0.01

Depression; mean (range)

14.18 (± 11.55)

8.7 (± 7.25)

n.s

Pain experience scale

   

 Affective

27.36 (± 7.89)

–

 

 Sensory

18.71 (± 6.62)

–

 

 Sensory—rhythmicity

5.29 (± 2.64)

–

 

 Sensory—penetration

8.57 (± 3.25)

–

 

 Sensory—temperature

4.86 (± 2.14)

–

 

Multidimensional pain inventory

   

 Pain intensity

3.23 (± 0.96)

–

 

 Impairment

3.49 (± 1.07)

–

 

 Affective mood

2.45 (± 0.83)

–

 

 Social support

2.48 (± 1.36)

–

 

 Control of life

4.29 (± 1.39)

–

 

 Punishment

0.53 (± 0.87)

–

 

 Attention

1.85 (± 0.8)

–

 

 Distraction

2.25 (± 1.46)

–

 

 Social activities

2.55 (± 1.29)

–

 

 Activities at home

3.88 (± 1.17)

–

 

 Activities outdoor

1.67 (± 1.33)

–

 

 Total score

8.1 (± 2)

–

 
  1. SD standard deviation, n.s. non-significant.
  2. As treatment recommendations for chronic pain patients strongly indicate continuous pharmacotherapy, we did not per se exclude patients with psychotropic medication, but defined a medication-free period of at least 4 weeks prior to investigation as a prerequisite. Previous medication and dose of medication were carefully assessed and used as covariate in subsequent analyses.
  3. With respect to the PIT task (description see below), participants who did not rate the valence of the CSs positively (below a score of five) following the Pavlovian conditioning phase were not included in the present study to avoid alterations in the PIT effect due to non-learning of association as negative/aversive.
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