S Murata1, R Sawa2, N Nakatsu1, T Saito1, T Sugimoto1,3,4, R Nakamura1, S Misu1,5, Y Ueda1, R Ono1. 1. Department of Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe University, Hyogo, Japan. 2. Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences at Narita, International University of Health and Welfare, Chiba, Japan. 3. National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, The Center for Comprehensive Care and Research on Memory Disorders, Obu, Aichi, Japan. 4. National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Medical Genome Center, Obu, Aichi, Japan. 5. Kobe City Hospital Organization, Kobe City Medical Center, West Hospital, Hyogo, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We examined the association of chronic musculoskeletal pain with executive function in community-dwelling older adults. METHOD: This cross-sectional study recruited 234 community-dwelling older adults in Japan (mean age: 72.7, women: 62.8%). Chronic musculoskeletal pain was defined as having moderate or more severe pain lasting ≥ 3 months. Executive function was assessed using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Trail Making Test (TMT) parts A and B, Letter Verbal Fluency Test (LVFT) and Category Verbal Fluency Test (CVFT). RESULTS: Prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain was 19% (n = 44). In the univariate analysis, the DSST and CVFT scores were significantly lower in the chronic musculoskeletal pain group than in the control group (DSST: chronic musculoskeletal pain group vs. control group, 40.2 vs. 45.4, respectively, p < 0.05; CVFT: 13.7 vs. 15.6, respectively, p < 0.05), whereas the TMT parts A and B and LVFT scores were not. The multivariate linear regression models adjusted for covariates showed that the chronic musculoskeletal pain group had significantly lower DSST (adjusted β = -0.13, p < 0.05) and CVFT scores (adjusted β = -0.17, p < 0.05) than the control group. CONCLUSION: Chronic musculoskeletal pain may interfere with the elements of executive function, processing speed and semantic fluency, in community-dwelling older adults. The association of chronic musculoskeletal pain with executive function requires further investigation. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest an association between moderate-severe chronic musculoskeletal pain and impairments of semantic fluency and processing speed in community-dwelling older adults.
BACKGROUND: We examined the association of chronic musculoskeletal pain with executive function in community-dwelling older adults. METHOD: This cross-sectional study recruited 234 community-dwelling older adults in Japan (mean age: 72.7, women: 62.8%). Chronic musculoskeletal pain was defined as having moderate or more severe pain lasting ≥ 3 months. Executive function was assessed using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Trail Making Test (TMT) parts A and B, Letter Verbal Fluency Test (LVFT) and Category Verbal Fluency Test (CVFT). RESULTS: Prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain was 19% (n = 44). In the univariate analysis, the DSST and CVFT scores were significantly lower in the chronic musculoskeletal pain group than in the control group (DSST: chronic musculoskeletal pain group vs. control group, 40.2 vs. 45.4, respectively, p < 0.05; CVFT: 13.7 vs. 15.6, respectively, p < 0.05), whereas the TMT parts A and B and LVFT scores were not. The multivariate linear regression models adjusted for covariates showed that the chronic musculoskeletal pain group had significantly lower DSST (adjusted β = -0.13, p < 0.05) and CVFT scores (adjusted β = -0.17, p < 0.05) than the control group. CONCLUSION:Chronic musculoskeletal pain may interfere with the elements of executive function, processing speed and semantic fluency, in community-dwelling older adults. The association of chronic musculoskeletal pain with executive function requires further investigation. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest an association between moderate-severe chronic musculoskeletal pain and impairments of semantic fluency and processing speed in community-dwelling older adults.