Abstract

Functional abdominal pain (FAP) is a common physical complaint in children and adolescents. Prior research has documented associations between FAP symptoms and mood, especially internalizing behaviors. Limited research is available examining the association between symptom burden and cognitive function in this pediatric population. This study explored associations between FAP symptoms, internalizing behaviors, and cognitive and school function in children and adolescents. Twenty-seven participants (mean age = 12.6 years, range 8.8–16.5; 33% male) diagnosed with FAP completed assessments of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral function, as well as FAP symptom severity. Mean performances on cognitive tests were within age-expected ranges. Within this context, however, higher overall burden of FAP symptoms was associated with slower processing speed, more self-reported metacognitive problems and internalizing behaviors, and more school absences. Cognitive function was systematically associated with internalizing behaviors but not physical symptoms. Overall, findings revealed that FAP may be associated with cognitive inefficiencies in addition to internalizing problems. Cognitive symptoms may be linked to internalizing behaviors associated with FAP.

摘要

功能性腹痛 (FAP) 是儿童和青少年常见的身体不适。先前的研究已经记录了 FAP 症状与情绪之间的关联，尤其是内化行为。有限的研究可以检查该儿科人群的症状负担与认知功能之间的关联。本研究探讨了儿童和青少年的 FAP 症状、内化行为以及认知和学校功能之间的关联。27 名被诊断患有 FAP 的参与者（平均年龄 = 12.6 岁，范围 8.8–16.5；33% 为男性）完成了对认知、情绪和行为功能以及 FAP 症状严重程度的评估。认知测试的平均表现在年龄预期范围内。然而，在这种情况下，较高的 FAP 症状总体负担与较慢的处理速度相关，更多自我报告的元认知问题和内化行为，以及更多的学校缺勤。认知功能与内化行为系统相关，但与身体症状无关。总体而言，研究结果表明，除了内化问题外，FAP 还可能与认知效率低下有关。认知症状可能与 FAP 相关的内化行为有关。