IntroductionFor decades, a substantial body of research has confirmed the subjective nature of pain. Subjectivity seems to be integrated into the concept of pain but is often confined to self-reported pain. Although it seems likely that past and current pain experiences would interact and influence subjective pain reports, the influence of these factors has not been investigated in the context of physiological pain. The current study focused on exploring the influence of past/current pain on self-reporting and pupillary responses to pain.MethodsOverall, 47 participants were divided into two groups, a 4°C–10°C group (experiencing major pain first) and a 10°C–4°C group (experiencing minor pain first), and performed cold pressor tasks (CPT) twice for 30 s each. During the two rounds of CPT, participants reported their pain intensity, and their pupillary responses were measured. Subsequently, they reappraised their pain ratings in the first CPT session.ResultsSelf-reported pain showed a significant difference (4°C–10°C: p = 0.045; 10°C–4°C: p < 0.001) in the rating of cold pain stimuli in both groups, and this gap was higher in the 10°C–4°C group than in the 4°C–10°C group. In terms of pupillary response, the 4°C–10°C group exhibited a significant difference in pupil diameter, whereas this was marginally significant in the 10°C–4°C group (4°C–10°C: p < 0.001; 10°C–4°C: p = 0.062). There were no significant changes in self-reported pain after reappraisal in either group.DiscussionThe findings of the current study confirmed that subjective and physiological responses to pain can be altered by previous experiences of pain.

Background: Daily functioning is an important aspect of chronic pain management, particularly for individuals living with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Previous studies have established that emotional support from significant others is beneficial for chronic pain patients. However, emotional support can be discrepant from one's preference and can also fluctuate. Thus, the present study investigates the role of instability in emotional support discrepancy on the daily functioning of patients with CRPS. Methods: Participants consisted of 21 CRPS patients. Google Forms was used to obtain daily diary ratings over 15 days.The mean square of successive differences was calculated as an indicator of instability of emotional support discrepancy. Statistical analysis was conducted using hierarchical linear modeling. Results: Hierarchical linear modeling reveals that the moderating effect of instability in emotional support discrepancy on the relationship between daily pain severity daily activity avoidance (coefficient=0.01, t (292)=5.57, p＜.001), activity interference (coefficient=0.01, t (292)=5.98, p＜.001), distraction (coefficient=0.01, t (292)=5.10, p= .007) was statistically significant. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that instability in emotional support discrepancy reduces the buffering effect of emotional support.

Discriminating attention-related symptoms is a key factor for the appropriate diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT). The Barkley Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-IV (BAARS-IV) is the most widely used tool to measure such symptoms. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the BAARS-IV with a sample of 771 participants in the Korean population. We identified a five-factor model for measuring ADHD and SCT, and determined the scale was appropriate for use in the Korean population. Sustained attention (SA) was a unique factor of the Korean version of the BAARSIV. Internal consistency was good and the positive association between the BAARS-IV and an alternative measure of depression/anxiety supported the scale's concurrent validity. To conclude, a cautious approach is needed when applying the BAARS-IV in different cultural contexts.