Differential Connectivity Associated with Pain Outcomes by Religious/Spiritual Belief

The biopsychosocial model of pain is a well-accepted framework to understand how all facets of life influence the pain experience, but one crucial sociocultural element is often missing from this approach. Religion/spirituality (R/S) can have a significant impact on an individual's perception of health and illness, but its role in the context of pain has thus far been de-emphasized. Further, the neurobiological processes underlying this relationship have not been explored. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in functional connectivity underlying pain severity and interference in R/S (n = 61) and atheist (n = 16) individuals with temporomandibular disorder.
Source: The Journal of Pain - Category: Materials Science Authors: Source Type: research