Individuals suffering from chronic pain frequently find single-modality treatment methods insufficient: while medication can alleviate symptoms, it ty...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Individuals suffering from chronic pain frequently find single-modality treatment methods insufficient: while medication can alleviate symptoms, it typically fails to address underlying psychological components, and therapeutic interventions alone often cannot effectively control intense physical discomfort. Research conducted by pain management experts Dr. Lisa Park and Dr. James Wilson reveals that combining pharmaceutical treatments with cognitive behavioral therapy substantially improves therapeutic outcomes—decreasing pain severity by 31 to 52 percent when compared to single-modality approaches. This combined methodology allows patients to attain superior pain control while circumventing the deficiencies associated with depending solely on either medication or therapy.
Which option most accurately captures the central concept of the passage?
Medication-based treatments achieve optimal results when they target both physical symptoms and psychological components.
Individuals experiencing chronic pain obtain improved outcomes through the combination of therapeutic and pharmaceutical interventions.
Combining medication-based and psychological therapies substantially enhances chronic pain treatment results.
Individual treatment modalities for chronic pain frequently prove insufficient in delivering satisfactory relief to patients.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Individuals suffering from chronic pain frequently find single-modality treatment methods insufficient:" |
|
| "while medication can alleviate symptoms, it typically fails to address underlying psychological components," |
|
| "and therapeutic interventions alone often cannot effectively control intense physical discomfort." |
|
| "Research conducted by pain management experts Dr. Lisa Park and Dr. James Wilson reveals that combining pharmaceutical treatments with cognitive behavioral therapy substantially improves therapeutic outcomes" |
|
| "decreasing pain severity by 31 to 52 percent when compared to single-modality approaches." |
|
| "This combined methodology allows patients to attain superior pain control while circumventing the deficiencies associated with depending solely on either medication or therapy." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Combining pharmaceutical treatments with cognitive behavioral therapy substantially improves chronic pain treatment outcomes compared to using either approach alone.
Argument Flow: The passage starts by establishing that single-modality treatments for chronic pain are insufficient, with medication missing psychological components and therapy struggling with severe physical pain. It then presents research evidence showing that combining both approaches substantially improves outcomes, providing specific data about pain reduction. Finally, it concludes that this combined methodology offers superior pain control while avoiding the limitations of single approaches.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
- What's being asked? The central concept of the entire passage
- What type of answer do we need? The main overarching idea that the passage is communicating
- Any limiting keywords? "Most accurately captures" means we need the choice that best represents the core message
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- It should mention that combining treatments (both medication and therapy) is key
- It should indicate that this combination approach produces better results than single methods
- It should focus on the improvement/enhancement aspect rather than just the problem
- The right answer should capture that combining medication and psychological therapy leads to substantially better chronic pain treatment results
Medication-based treatments achieve optimal results when they target both physical symptoms and psychological components.
- Focuses only on medication-based treatments achieving results
- Misses the key point that it's the combination of medication AND therapy that works
- The passage doesn't say medication alone can target both components
Individuals experiencing chronic pain obtain improved outcomes through the combination of therapeutic and pharmaceutical interventions.
- Does mention combining therapeutic and pharmaceutical interventions and says individuals get "improved outcomes" which matches the passage
- However, this choice uses more general language rather than the passage's emphasis on substantial improvement
Combining medication-based and psychological therapies substantially enhances chronic pain treatment results.
- Mentions "combining medication-based and psychological therapies" which directly matches the passage's approach
- Uses "substantially enhances" which mirrors the passage's "substantially improves"
- Focuses on the enhanced results, which is the central concept the passage builds toward
Individual treatment modalities for chronic pain frequently prove insufficient in delivering satisfactory relief to patients.
- Only focuses on the insufficiency of individual treatments
- This is just the problem setup, not the central concept
- Misses the main point about the solution and its substantial benefits