# CBP: A BIOBEHAVIORAL MODEL OF FUNCTION CAPACITY

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 1991 · $241,311

## Abstract

Chronic back pain (CBP) is a major health problem in the United States.
Neither pure physical models of back pain nor models that focus exclusively
on psychological factors seem adequate to explain the functional
limitations of CBP patients.  The major supposition of this proposal is
that appraisals regarding the painfulness of a set of tasks and confidence
in ability to perform the tasks will exert a significant impact on actual
physical performances beyond that accounted for solely by physiological
parameters.  In addition, over-predictions of pain will lead to increased
activity avoidance.  The actual performance on physical tasks will be
determined, however, not only by psychological factors but will be
constrained by physical limitations as well.

Three studies are proposed that are designed to evaluate a comprehensive
biobehavioral model of the performance of CBP patients that integrates
operant and cognitive variables (i.e., fear of pain and injury,
self-efficacy) with physical limitations directly related to injury,
physical deconditioning, and maladaptive body mechanics.  In this project
we will directly test the contributions of each of these variables to
performance on ecologically valid, dynamic tasks of physical functioning.
Moreover, we postulate that the performance of empirically derived
subgroups of CBP patients will be differentially influenced by self-
efficacy expectations, fear of activity, and physical perturbations.
Specifically, we propose that task-specific psychological factors will have
a greater impact on patients who have higher levels of psychological
distress, feel less control over their lives and their symptoms, perceive
pain to interfere more with their lives, and are less active than those
patients who are less psychologically distressed, feel more in control, and
who are more active.

The primary purpose of this competing continuation is determination of the
relative contribution of specific physical and psychological contributors
to performance on a set of dynamic functional capacity tasks, and to
evaluate the changes in these contributors as a result of an intensive
rehabilitation program designed to increase muscle strength, tone, and
flexibility, to improve body mechanics; as well as, to reduce fear of
activity, to increase the sense of control over pain, and to increase
self-efficacy regarding physical capabilities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3158729
- **Project number:** 5R01AR038698-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **SAM.gov UEI:** MKAGLD59JRL1
- **Principal Investigator:** THOMAS E RUDY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $241,311
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1987-05-01 → 1994-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3158729

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3158729, CBP: A BIOBEHAVIORAL MODEL OF FUNCTION CAPACITY (5R01AR038698-05). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3158729. Licensed CC0.

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