The Cognitive Functions in Adults with Chronic Pain: A Comparative Study

Table 1

Description of the cognitive outcome measures (in order of use in the study).

Order	Assessment	Construct[s] measured	Description and method of administration
1	Contextual Memory Test	Short-term memory	The test screens and monitors memory by presenting 20 pictures of related objects for about 90 seconds. The participant is asked to recall the items immediately [short-term memory] and then again after 20 minutes [long-term memory]
2	A Quick Test	Executive functioning	The participant is presented with 40 different stimuli and is asked to name the color [not shape] of each stimulus as fast and as accurately as possible. The scores are recorded in terms of accuracy and time taken for each item set
3	Trail Making Test	Alternating attention	The test requires the participant to draw lines connecting numbers and letters in an alternating and ascending order
4	Digit Forward Test	Short-term memory	The test requires the participant to repeat the numbers heard by the examiner in the same order as given, with number of digits to be remembered increasing with each trial
5	Digit Backward Test	Working memory	The test requires the participant to repeat the numbers heard by the examiner in a reversed (backward) order, with the number of digits increasing with each trial
6	Contextual Memory Test	Long-term memory	See number 1. The participant is asked to recall the items presented 20 minutes ago
7	D2 test	Selective attention Processing Speed	The test requires the examinee to cross out the letters “d” with two dashes, on a sheet with 14 lines, each with 47 characters, for a total of 658 items. Selective attention is the number of errors, and “remaining items” not crossed off are the processing speed