Past studies show that pain may have a negative impact on autobiographical memory - which in turn can make pain worse. In contrast, using positive, detailed autobiographical memories could benefit pain management.

This project asks two questions:

How does pain impact autobiographical memory?
How does autobiographical memory influence pain?

We will also examine how other psychosocial processes (such as attention) contribute to the association between pain and autobiographical memory. Finally, we will use our findings to develop a novel non-invasive way for people to overcome pain using the power of their memories.

Project background

Most of us will have to deal with persistent severe pain in our lifetime. When we do, pain can redefine how we see ourselves, our world and our future. Pain can throw us back on our history and affect how we see things going forward.

“Can I cope with this?”, “What are my limits?” and “Will it always be like this?” are common questions at the centre of how people grapple with a life in pain. The answers to these questions can provide a sense of control and predictability for the future.

Our personal history – or autobiographical memory – can shape how we answer these questions. But, autobiographical memory is rarely researched in chronic pain. To better understand and help people with pain, we can draw on research in common mental health problems.

For example, research into depression has shown how our autobiographical memories can influence our wellbeing. Personal memories contribute to our sense of self and offer solutions to adversity. They can remind us of better times, impact how we anticipate possible future events, and can be shared to create bonds with others.

Difficulties recalling autobiographical memories are common across (and can worsen) mental health problems. Improving autobiographical memory improves mental health.

Project aims

Building on our work in mental health, we propose that how we remember, understand and use our past to manage pain is most likely central to the rise of, maintenance and resolution of chronic pain.

Our work will focus on recruiting people who are under-represented in research, but over-represented in pain clinics (for example, those who are very elderly, obese, or living in rural communities).

Through investigation, we will answer several important questions:

How does pain impact our autobiographical memory?
How does autobiographical memory influence the severity and impact of pain?
How do other psychological (such as attention) and social (such as support from others) variables influence the association between autobiographical memory and pain?
Can enhancing autobiographical memory be used to manage pain?

Project outline

This project is comprised of four work packages.

Work Package (WP) 1 uses experimental inductions of pain to study pain’s effects on autobiographical memory and intermediate processes (for example, attention).

WP2 uses Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and large cohort datasets to capture the dynamic, longitudinal association between pain and autobiographical memory.

WP3 creates a new avenue for chronic pain management by adapting and deploying Memory Specificity Training (MeST). MeST is an intervention that helps people to retrieve and relive the sensory-perceptual detail of specific past events, which improves their mental health. WP3 translates this intervention for use within Chronic Pain.

WP4 will run concurrently with and complement the entire project. It will bring expertise through lived experience into the development, delivery, and dissemination of the other WPs.