Mind the Mood: Momentary Depression and Anxiety Moderate the Correspondence Between Subjective and Objective Cognitive Functioning in Fibromyalgia

Objective Subjective cognitive dysfunction (SCD) affects 55–75% of individuals with fibromyalgia (FM), but those reporting cognitive difficulties often lack corresponding objective deficits. Symptoms of depression and anxiety are prevalent in FM and may account for part of this discrepancy. This study was undertaken to investigate whether momentary (within‐day, across 7 days) changes in mood moderate the relationship between within‐the‐moment SCD and mental processing speed performance. Methods A total of 50 individuals with FM (mean age 44.8 years, mean education 15.7 years, 88% female, 86% White) completed momentary assessments of subjective cognitive functioning, depressive and anxious symptoms, and a test of processing speed. Assessments were completed 5 times per day for 8 consecutive days on a study‐specific smartphone application. Results Momentary ratings of SCD were positively associated with mean reaction time (P