OBJECTIVE: Persistent pain and cognitive impairment are each common in older adults. Mental flexibility, memory, and information-processing speed may be particularly vulnerable in the aging brain. We investigated the effects of persistent pain on these cognitive domains among community-dwelling, nondemented older adults. SETTING: Older Adult Pain Management Program. DESIGN: A total of 56 new patients (mean age 76.1 years) were recruited to describe 1) rates of persistent pain conditions and pain intensity; 2) cognition (mental flexibility, short-term memory, and psychomotor speed); 3) severity of depression; and 4) sleep quality. All patients had nonmalignant pain for at least 3 months. Pain intensity was measured with the McGill Pain Questionnaire and depression severity with the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Cognition was assessed with 1) Mini-Mental State Exam; 2) Number-Letter-Switching and Motor Speed subtests of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Trail Making Test; 3) Digit Symbol Subtest (DSST) of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales-III; and 4) free and paired recall of the DSST digit-symbol pairs. Multiple linear regression modeled whether these variables predicted poorer cognitive outcomes, after adjusting for the effects of opioids, sleep impairment, depression, medical comorbidity, and years of education. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, pain severity was associated with a greater impairment on number-letter switching (r = -0.42, P = 0.002). This association remained after adjusting for the effects of depression, sleep, medical comorbidity, opioid use, and years of education (t = -1.97, P = 0.056). CONCLUSIONS: In community dwelling older adults, neither pain nor mood was associated with measures of short-term memory or information-processing speed. However, pain severity was associated with decreased performance on a test of number-letter switching, indicating a relationship between pain and mental flexibility.
OBJECTIVE: Persistent pain and cognitive impairment are each common in older adults. Mental flexibility, memory, and information-processing speed may be particularly vulnerable in the aging brain. We investigated the effects of persistent pain on these cognitive domains among community-dwelling, nondemented older adults. SETTING: Older Adult Pain Management Program. DESIGN: A total of 56 new patients (mean age 76.1 years) were recruited to describe 1) rates of persistent pain conditions and pain intensity; 2) cognition (mental flexibility, short-term memory, and psychomotor speed); 3) severity of depression; and 4) sleep quality. All patients had nonmalignant pain for at least 3 months. Pain intensity was measured with the McGill Pain Questionnaire and depression severity with the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Cognition was assessed with 1) Mini-Mental State Exam; 2) Number-Letter-Switching and Motor Speed subtests of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Trail Making Test; 3) Digit Symbol Subtest (DSST) of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales-III; and 4) free and paired recall of the DSST digit-symbol pairs. Multiple linear regression modeled whether these variables predicted poorer cognitive outcomes, after adjusting for the effects of opioids, sleep impairment, depression, medical comorbidity, and years of education. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, pain severity was associated with a greater impairment on number-letter switching (r = -0.42, P = 0.002). This association remained after adjusting for the effects of depression, sleep, medical comorbidity, opioid use, and years of education (t = -1.97, P = 0.056). CONCLUSIONS: In community dwelling older adults, neither pain nor mood was associated with measures of short-term memory or information-processing speed. However, pain severity was associated with decreased performance on a test of number-letter switching, indicating a relationship between pain and mental flexibility.
Authors: M Cary Reid; David A Bennett; Wen G Chen; Basil A Eldadah; John T Farrar; Bruce Ferrell; Rollin M Gallagher; Joseph T Hanlon; Keela Herr; Susan D Horn; Charles E Inturrisi; Salma Lemtouni; Yu Woody Lin; Kaleb Michaud; R Sean Morrison; Tuhina Neogi; Linda L Porter; Daniel H Solomon; Michael Von Korff; Karen Weiss; James Witter; Kevin L Zacharoff Journal: Pain Med Date: 2011-08-11 Impact factor: 3.750
Authors: Jordan F Karp; Bruce L Rollman; Charles F Reynolds; Jennifer Q Morse; Frank Lotrich; Sati Mazumdar; Natalia Morone; Debra K Weiner Journal: Pain Med Date: 2012-02-07 Impact factor: 3.750
Authors: Diana M Higgins; Aaron M Martin; Dewleen G Baker; Jennifer J Vasterling; Victoria Risbrough Journal: Clin J Pain Date: 2018-03 Impact factor: 3.442
Authors: Rachel E Ward; Marla K Beauchamp; Nancy K Latham; Suzanne G Leveille; Sanja Percac-Lima; Laura Kurlinski; Pengsheng Ni; Richard Goldstein; Alan M Jette; Jonathan F Bean Journal: Arch Phys Med Rehabil Date: 2016-04-04 Impact factor: 3.966
Authors: Sung Hoon Kim; Won Uk Koh; Jin Ho Rhim; Myong Hwan Karm; Hye Suk Yu; Bo Yoeng Lee; Jin Woo Shin; Jeong Gill Leem Journal: Korean J Pain Date: 2012-10-04
Authors: Sarah Townley; Maria Papaleontiou; Leslie Amanfo; Charles R Henderson; Karl Pillemer; Katherine Beissner; M C Reid Journal: Pain Med Date: 2010-01-15 Impact factor: 3.750