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Association between chronic musculoskeletal pain and executive function in community‐dwelling older adults
Author(s) -
Murata S.,
Sawa R.,
Nakatsu N.,
Saito T.,
Sugimoto T.,
Nakamura R.,
Misu S.,
Ueda Y.,
Ono R.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1002/ejp.1083
Subject(s) - digit symbol substitution test , verbal fluency test , chronic pain , medicine , trail making test , physical therapy , musculoskeletal pain , association (psychology) , univariate analysis , multivariate analysis , psychology , cognition , psychiatry , neuropsychology , alternative medicine , pathology , psychotherapist , placebo
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.