Chronic pain in older adults with disabilities is associated with cognitive impairment-a prospective cohort study

Background: Chronic pain may be an important factor influencing cognitive impairment; however, there is limited research on that link in older adults with disabilities. We aimed to determine the association between chronic pain and cognitive impairment in older adults with disabilities.

Methods: This 24-month prospective cohort study involved 143 Japanese older adults (≥65 years of age) with long-term care insurance. Chronic pain was defined as pain persisting for ≥3 months, and cognitive impairment was defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination score ≤ 23. We employed logistic regression analysis with chronic pain as the independent variable and cognitive impairment as the dependent variable after propensity score matching (PSM).

Results: Sixty-six participants were selected using PSM, and logistic regression analysis showed that chronic pain was significantly associated with cognitive impairment (odds ratio: 4.103, 95% confidence interval: 1.455-11.567, P = 0.008).

Conclusion: To prevent cognitive impairment in older adults with disabilities, the management of chronic pain should be considered, as they are related.