Neural and psychosocial signatures of the comorbidity between pain and affective symptoms.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The bidirectional relationship between pain and affective symptoms suggests shared underlying mechanisms. Neurophysiological changes, psychosocial factors, and specifically alterations in instrumental learning likely contribute significantly to their co-occurrence.

Objectives

In this study, we aimed to uncover factors associated with the comorbidity between pain and the severity of depressive symptoms and between pain and the severity of anxiety symptoms.

Methods

We analyzed psychosocial (n = 624) and neuroimaging (n = 689) data from a European sample of young adults with pain and affective symptoms from the general population. Using multitask learning, we constructed cross-sectional models predicting the coexistence of both symptom domains.

Results

SUBMITTER: Scarlatti F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12705059 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature