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. 2019 May;19(2):160-164.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2019.02.002. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Cognitive rigidity in patients with depression and fibromyalgia

Mari Aguilera  1 , Clara Paz  2 , Victoria Compañ  3 , Juan Carlos Medina  3 , Guillem Feixas  3   4
Affiliations

Cognitive rigidity in patients with depression and fibromyalgia

Mari Aguilera et al. Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2019 May.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Background/objective: The comorbidity of depression and fibromyalgia chronic syndrome has been well documented in the literature; however, the cognitive structure of these patients has not been assessed. Previous results reported variability in cognitive rigidity in depressive patients, the key for this might be the presence of chronic physical pain such as fibromyalgia. The present study explores and compares the cognitive rigidity and differentiation, between patients with depression with and without fibromyalgia syndrome.

Method: Thirty one patients with depression and fibromyalgia were matched, considering age, sex and number of depressive episodes, with 31 patients with depression but without fibromyalgia diagnosis. Cognitive rigidity and differentiation were measured with the repertory grid technique.

Results: The results indicated that depressed patients with fibromyalgia presented higher levels of depressive symptoms, greater cognitive rigidity and lower cognitive differentiation than those without fibromyalgia.

Conclusions: The results might inform future treatments to address the cognitive structure of these patients.

Antecedentes/objetivo: La comorbilidad de la depresión y la fibromialgia ha sido bien documentada en la literatura. Sin embargo, la estructura cognitiva de estos pacientes no ha sido evaluada. Estudios previos muestran variabilidad en medidas de rigidez cognitiva en pacientes con depresión. Los síndromes físicos crónicos podrían ser una variable clave para explicar esta variabilidad presente en estudios previos. El presente estudio explora y compara la rigidez y la diferenciación cognitiva entre paciente con depresión que tienen y aquellos que no tienen fibromialgia.

Método: Treinta y un pacientes con depresión y fibromialgia fueron emparejados, considerando edad, sexo y números de episodios depresivos con 31 pacientes con depresión, pero sin diagnóstico de fibromialgia.

Resultados: Los resultados indican que los pacientes que presentan depresión y fibromialgia evidencian niveles más altos de síntomas depresivos, mayor rigidez cognitiva y menor diferenciación cognitiva que los pacientes sin fibromialgia.

Conclusiones: Estos resultados podrían ser considerados al momento de crear tratamientos ajustados a la estructura cognitiva de estos pacientes.

Keywords: Cognitive rigidity; Depression; Ex post facto study; Fibromyalgia.

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