Keeping an eye on pain: investigating visual attention biases in individuals with chronic pain using eye-tracking methodology
Samantha R Fashler, Joel Katz Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Abstract: Attentional biases to painful stimuli are evident in individuals with chronic pain, although the directional tendency of these biases (ie, toward or away from threat-related stimuli)...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Dove Medical Press
2016-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Pain Research |
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| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/keeping-an-eye-on-pain-investigating-visual-attention-biases-in-indivi-peer-reviewed-article-JPR |
| _version_ | 1818155389543251968 |
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| author | Fashler SR Katz J |
| author_facet | Fashler SR Katz J |
| author_sort | Fashler SR |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Samantha R Fashler, Joel Katz Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Abstract: Attentional biases to painful stimuli are evident in individuals with chronic pain, although the directional tendency of these biases (ie, toward or away from threat-related stimuli) remains unclear. This study used eye-tracking technology, a measure of visual attention, to evaluate the attentional patterns of individuals with and without chronic pain during exposure to injury-related and neutral pictures. Individuals with (N=51) and without chronic pain (N=62) completed a dot-probe task using injury-related and neutral pictures while their eye movements were recorded. Mixed-design analysis of variance evaluated the interaction between group (chronic pain, pain-free) and picture type (injury-related, neutral). Reaction time results showed that regardless of chronic pain status, participants responded faster to trials with neutral stimuli in comparison to trials that included injury-related pictures. Eye-tracking measures showed within-group differences whereby injury-related pictures received more frequent fixations and visits, as well as longer average visit durations. Between-group differences showed that individuals with chronic pain had fewer fixations and shorter average visit durations for all stimuli. An examination of how biases change over the time-course of stimulus presentation showed that during the late phase of attention, individuals with chronic pain had longer average gaze durations on injury pictures relative to pain-free individuals. The results show the advantage of incorporating eye-tracking methodology when examining attentional biases, and suggest future avenues of research. Keywords: attentional biases, chronic pain, avoidance, hypervigilance, dot probe |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T14:41:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-70c8933daf904286a5897ca3a6f69d60 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1178-7090 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T14:41:38Z |
| publishDate | 2016-08-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Pain Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-70c8933daf904286a5897ca3a6f69d602022-12-22T01:01:53ZengDove Medical PressJournal of Pain Research1178-70902016-08-012016Issue 155156128351Keeping an eye on pain: investigating visual attention biases in individuals with chronic pain using eye-tracking methodologyFashler SRKatz JSamantha R Fashler, Joel Katz Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Abstract: Attentional biases to painful stimuli are evident in individuals with chronic pain, although the directional tendency of these biases (ie, toward or away from threat-related stimuli) remains unclear. This study used eye-tracking technology, a measure of visual attention, to evaluate the attentional patterns of individuals with and without chronic pain during exposure to injury-related and neutral pictures. Individuals with (N=51) and without chronic pain (N=62) completed a dot-probe task using injury-related and neutral pictures while their eye movements were recorded. Mixed-design analysis of variance evaluated the interaction between group (chronic pain, pain-free) and picture type (injury-related, neutral). Reaction time results showed that regardless of chronic pain status, participants responded faster to trials with neutral stimuli in comparison to trials that included injury-related pictures. Eye-tracking measures showed within-group differences whereby injury-related pictures received more frequent fixations and visits, as well as longer average visit durations. Between-group differences showed that individuals with chronic pain had fewer fixations and shorter average visit durations for all stimuli. An examination of how biases change over the time-course of stimulus presentation showed that during the late phase of attention, individuals with chronic pain had longer average gaze durations on injury pictures relative to pain-free individuals. The results show the advantage of incorporating eye-tracking methodology when examining attentional biases, and suggest future avenues of research. Keywords: attentional biases, chronic pain, avoidance, hypervigilance, dot probehttps://www.dovepress.com/keeping-an-eye-on-pain-investigating-visual-attention-biases-in-indivi-peer-reviewed-article-JPRAttentional biaseschronic painavoidancehypervigilancedot probe |
| spellingShingle | Fashler SR Katz J Keeping an eye on pain: investigating visual attention biases in individuals with chronic pain using eye-tracking methodology Journal of Pain Research Attentional biases chronic pain avoidance hypervigilance dot probe |
| title | Keeping an eye on pain: investigating visual attention biases in individuals with chronic pain using eye-tracking methodology |
| title_full | Keeping an eye on pain: investigating visual attention biases in individuals with chronic pain using eye-tracking methodology |
| title_fullStr | Keeping an eye on pain: investigating visual attention biases in individuals with chronic pain using eye-tracking methodology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Keeping an eye on pain: investigating visual attention biases in individuals with chronic pain using eye-tracking methodology |
| title_short | Keeping an eye on pain: investigating visual attention biases in individuals with chronic pain using eye-tracking methodology |
| title_sort | keeping an eye on pain investigating visual attention biases in individuals with chronic pain using eye tracking methodology |
| topic | Attentional biases chronic pain avoidance hypervigilance dot probe |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/keeping-an-eye-on-pain-investigating-visual-attention-biases-in-indivi-peer-reviewed-article-JPR |
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