Worse executive function (EF) is associated with chronic pain and could mechanistically contribute to pain chronification. It is unclear whether there is overall impairment in EFs or whether there are impairments in specific cognitive domains. Furthermore, the possible genetic risk underlying these associations has not been tested. Participants were from the Colorado Longitudinal Twin study; 786 same-sex twins completed a battery of EF tasks at ages 23 and/or 28 and 634 of these twins self-reported chronic pain at mean age = 28.1; prevalence = 27.76% using the Brief Pain History Questionnaire. The EF tasks were used to define a Common EF factor and 2 factors specific to updating working memory and shifting mental set. We estimated the phenotypic and genetic associations of stable EF variance across ages 23 and 28, as well as EF variance unique to age 28, with pain. With respect to stable EF variance, pain phenotypically correlated with the Updating-specific factor (r = -0.21, P = 0.008) but did not significantly correlate with the Common EF factor (r = -0.06, P = 0.350) nor with the Shifting-specific factor (r = -0.03, P = 0.709). There were no significant phenotypic correlations between pain and EF variance unique to age 28. A twin model indicated that pain and Updating-specific variance share genetic risk (rA = -0.46, P = 0.005) but not environmental risk (rE = 0.05, P = 0.844). Updating working memory shares a phenotypic and genetic relationship with pain in young adults. Impairments in gating or monitoring pain signals may play a mechanistic role in pain development.

中文翻译：

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慢性疼痛与更新工作记忆特别相关：一项纵向双胞胎研究。


较差的执行功能 （EF） 与慢性疼痛有关，并可能在机制上促进疼痛慢性化。目前尚不清楚 EFs 是否存在整体损伤或特定认知领域是否存在损伤。此外，这些关联背后的可能遗传风险尚未得到检验。参与者来自科罗拉多州纵向双胞胎研究;786 名同性双胞胎在 23 岁和/或 28 岁时完成了一系列 EF 任务，其中 634 名双胞胎在平均年龄 = 28.1 岁时自我报告了慢性疼痛;患病率 = 27.76%，使用简要疼痛史问卷。EF 任务用于定义一个常见的 EF 因素和 2 个特定于更新工作记忆和转变心理模式的因素。我们估计了 23 岁和 28 岁之间稳定的 EF 方差的表型和遗传关联，以及 28 岁特有的 EF 方差与疼痛的表型和遗传关联。关于稳定的 EF 方差，疼痛表型与更新特异性因子 （r = -0.21， P = 0.008） 相关，但与常见 EF 因子 （r = -0.06， P = 0.350） 或偏移特异性因子 （r = -0.03， P = 0.709） 不显著相关。疼痛和 28 岁特有的 EF 方差之间没有显着的表型相关性。双胞胎模型表明，疼痛和更新特异性方差共享遗传风险 （rA = -0.46，P = 0.005），但不共享环境风险 （rE = 0.05，P = 0.844）。更新工作记忆与年轻人的疼痛具有表型和遗传关系。门控或监测疼痛信号的障碍可能在疼痛发展中起机械作用。