PAIN INTERFERENCE AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: A PILOT STUDY

• Published in: Innovation in aging Vol. 1; no. suppl_1; p. 660
• Main Authors: Wang, J., Dietrich, M.S., Simmons, S.F., Cowan, R.L., Monroe, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 01.07.2017
• Subjects: Abstracts
• ISSN: 2399-5300; 2399-5300
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igx004.2340

There were five million older adults in the U.S. with AD in 2015; 43–86% of those with AD report regular pain. Yet, little is known about the degree to which pain interferes with everyday activities in this population. We conducted a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of data from 52 older (≥65) communicative adults with AD who were free from chronic pain. Instruments included the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE, cognitive function), Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPISF, pain interference score) and the Geriatric Depressive Scale (GDS-15, depressive symptomology). Median BPI score was 0.0 with a range from 0 to 8. Reports of pain interference with specific activities included general activity (13.5%), mood (13.5%), walking ability (13.5%), normal work (11.5%), enjoyment of life (11.5%), relations with other people (9.6%), and sleep (9.6%). Average MMSE was 18.5 (SD=5.1), indicating moderate cognitive impairment. Median GDS score was 2.0 (IQR=1–6). There were statistically significant associations of pain interference with both cognitive function ( r s =0.46, p=0.001) and depressive symptomology ( r s =0.45, p = 0.001), indicating that greater perceived pain interference was related to better cognitive function and more depressive symptoms. Our findings showed that the association of pain interference with cognitive impairment and depression may place older adults at risk for under-management and unnecessary suffering. Due to the disabling impact of pain interference on everyday activities, assessment of pain interference should be incorporated into routine clinical practice to better manage pain. Accurate assessment of pain interference can also help identify older adults at high-risk for depression.