Psychology Health & Medicine· 2026Q2· Review
The influence of attention on movement-related outcomes in non-specific low back pain: a systematic review
- 0citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A systematic review of 28 studies found highly heterogeneous evidence on how attention affects movement in non-specific low back pain, making definitive conclusions challenging and highlighting significant evidence gaps, particularly for acute and recurrent pain.
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Key points
- 28 studies were systematically reviewed to assess attention's impact on movement in non-specific low back pain.
- Studies used dual-task, explicit attention manipulation, or self-report measures.
- Evidence was highly heterogeneous across movement outcomes (muscle activity, gait, balance, etc.) and pain types (acute, recurrent, chronic).
- Methodological variability and limited evidence per outcome domain prevented definitive conclusions.
- Significant evidence gaps exist for acute and recurrent low back pain.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Background Cognitive affective factors have been proposed to influence movement performance in non-specific low back pain. However, the specific influence of attention on movement performance remains an underexplored domain. Therefore, this systematic review evaluated the current knowledge concerning the influence of attention on movement-related outcomes in non-specific low back pain.Methods Five electronic databases were systematically searched (Medline, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL and PsycArticles) and methodological quality was assessed using the adjusted Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Level of evidence and strength of conclusion were assigned following guidelines of the Dutch Institute for Healthcare Improvement.Results Twenty-eight studies were included and categorized into three clusters: 19 studies employed dual-task paradigms to implicitly divide attention between a motor and concurrent cognitive task, 6 explicitly manipulated attention and 3 used self-reported measures of attention. Findings were grouped by movement-related outcomes (muscle activity, muscle timing, gait parameters, balance parameters, trunk flexibility, muscle strength, functional performance and kinematics) and by low back pain group (acute, recurrent and chronic low back pain).Discussion Overall, the available evidence was highly heterogeneous, and most conclusions regarding a specific motor outcome were supported by only limited evidence, often based on only a single study. Even when multiple studies were available within an outcome domain, substantial methodological variability hindered direct comparisons. As a result, it was challenging to draw definite conclusions regarding the specific influence of attention on movement-related outcomes in low back pain. Furthermore, notable evidence gaps remain for acute and recurrent low back pain populations. [PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022207174]
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Psychology Health & Medicine, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Pharmacology (Medicine)
PharmacologyMedicine