669: Autobiographical Memory of Clinician Validation Is Associated with Recall for Health Information

Topic: Experimental (Non-clinical) Human Studies
Subtopic: Non -specific to any diagnosis, Psychology

Background and Aims: Beyond pain itself, managing a long-term condition places ongoing cognitive and emotional demands on patients [1]. Many people with report difficulties with concentration, attention, memory, and executive functions. These cognitive difficulties can be distressing and may hinder a patient’s ability to manage their condition [2]. Research has shown that patients who struggle to recall treatment, advice and self-management strategies accurately often have poor adherence with medical advice [3,4]. We aimed to investigate whether recounting autobiographical memories of validating (vs invalidating) medical consultations influences recall of health-related information, and to examine whether changes in pain-related fear mediate this effect.

Methods: Participants were 245 adults with chronic pain (≥3 months) recruited online. Eligibility criteria included: age ≥18 years, fluent in English, no hearing difficulties or mental health conditions, completion of >20 studies on Prolific, and at least one healthcare visit in the previous two years. Participants were quasi-randomly assigned to describe either a validating or invalidating consultation they had previously experienced. Before and after this task, participants rated their pain intensity and pain-related fear. Participants then listened to 20 health messages and were later asked to recall them in an incidental memory test.

Results: Recall was analysed using a binomial generalized linear mixed-effects model accounting for individual differences (pain intensity, pain-related fear, immersion in the task, age, sex, and pain duration). Participants who described a validating consultation were more likely to recall health messages than those in the invalidating condition (19 % higher odds of recalling each message, based on model estimates). The association was not mediated by change in pain-related fear.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that remembering validating consultations might boost retention of health information, highlighting clinician-validation as a potential strategy to support cognitive functioning in people living with chronic pain.

References: 1. Higgins DM, Martin AM, Baker DG. The relationship between chronic pain and neurocognitive function: a systematic review. Clin J Pain. 2018;34: 262–275. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000536
2. Jorge LL, Gerard C, Revel M. Evidences of memory dysfunction and maladaptive coping in chronic low back pain and rheumatoid arthritis patients: challenges for rehabilitation. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2009;45: 469–477.
3. Finestone HM, Yanni MM, Dalzell CJ. Patients’ recall of diagnostic and treatment information improves with use of the Pain Explanation and Treatment Diagram in an outpatient chronic pain clinic. Pain Res Manag. 2015;20: 145–151. doi:10.1155/2015/897293
4. Vermeire E, Hearnshaw H, Van Royen P, Denekens J. Patient adherence to treatment: three decades of research. A comprehensive review. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2001;26: 331–342. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2710.2001.00363.x

Presenting Author: Charlotte Lee
Submitting Author: Charlotte Lee

Senior Author: Tamar Pincus

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: No

• Hollie Birkinshaw: PhD - University of Southampton
• Matthew Garner: PhD - University of Southampton
• Tamar Pincus: PhD - University of Southampton