28th International Congress of Psychology August 8 ... - U-netSURF

4121.5 The use of mental imagery in enhancing relearning for people with stroke, Karen P.Y.
Liu, Chetwyn C.H. Chan, Christina W.Y. Hui-Chan, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
Hong Kong, China
This study explored how mental imagery enhanced the relearning of task performance in
post-stroke patients. Thirty-two patients underwent a standardized 3-week mental imagery
program. The patients showed significant improvements in performing both trained and untrained
complicated daily tasks at the end of the program. Among different motor, sensory and cognitive
measures, only attention, sequential processing and lower extremity motor functions showed
significant increases after the intervention. Mental imagery appears to enhance the relearning of
patients with stroke, which is primarily mediated by higher cortical function.
4121.6 The fear avoidance model of chronic back pain: Is there empirical support? Birgit
Kroener-Herwig, Michael Pfingsten, Uta Kronshage, University of Goettingen Germany
The fear avoidance model of chronic back pain: Is there empirical support? Chronic back pain
(CBP) is a major cause for loss of work days and early retirement in western nations. More than
90% of CBP is "unspecific", i.e. exists without physical impairment. G. Waddel formulated the
fear avoidance model of CBP, which assigns fear of movement and pain and, as a consequence
avoidance behavior, a major part in the development of disability. Empirical studies including
those of our own research group are reviewed. It is concluded that empirical evidence lends
support to the psychosocial model of CBP.
4121.7 Psychological treatment of pediatric headache: A review and metaanalysis, Birgit
Kroener-Herwig, Halina Lackschewitz, Ellen Kremberg, University of Goettingen Germany
Headache in children and adolescents is a growing problem in western industrialized countries and
at least doubled in the last 30 years. Drug treatment to abort or in the case of migraine prevent
headache is often declined by parents. Psychological interventions including relaxation training,
biofeedback or cognitive behavioral treatment, have been examined in various studies regarding
their efficacy. More than 15 studies using a RCT are meta-analytically evaluated. Treatments show
a medium to high efficacy with no marked differences between treatments. Mechanisms of change
still await elucidation. Future research is explicated.
4121.8 The impact of threat appraisal on pain tolerance and coping, Todd Jackson 2 , Tony
Iezzi 1 , Laurie Pope 2 , Takeo Nagasaka 2 , April Fritch 2 , 1 Psychology Department, London Health
Sciences Centre, Canada, 2 University of Wisconsin-Superior, USA
This study assessed how appraisals of affects pain tolerance and coping. One hundred twenty-one
young adults were randomly assigned to read 1) about symptoms of frostbite (Threat), 2) about the
safely of the cold pressor test (CPT) (Reassurance) or 3) no orienting passage (Control), before
engaging in the CPT. Threatened participants showed reduced pain tolerance although groups did
not differ on intensity of reported pain. Threatened participants also catastrophized more and
reported fewer cognitive coping strategies than respondents from other conditions. Findings
suggest threat appraisal is a mechanism that underlies a generally maladaptive pattern of coping
with pain threat.
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