Chronic knee pain resulting from osteoarthritis does not lead to cognitive impairment in isolation, according to new research from the University of Nottingham.
The findings suggest that cognitive impairment linked to chronic pain is likely influenced by other factors such as age, pain medication, and socio-economic factors.
The Study’s Method and Findings
Chronic pain patients often report cognitive issues, such as difficulties with attention, memory, and behavioral flexibility.
These cognitive functions are associated with the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex regions of the brain.
To investigate if osteoarthritis-like knee pain alone can cause cognitive impairment, the researchers created an experimental model.
They found no evidence to suggest that such pain impairs memory and behavioral flexibility.
This result implies that chronic pain from knee osteoarthritis may affect cognitive functions less than other chronic pain conditions.
Tobias Bast, one of the researchers, highlights the importance of understanding how pain affects cognitive function.
He states that this understanding can contribute to improving cognitive function and quality of life for people suffering from knee osteoarthritis.
Implications and Future Directions
The findings from this study, in combination with another recent study from Nottingham, direct attention towards potentially modifiable factors such as pain medication and lack of social engagement.
A recent study indicated that people with knee osteoarthritis exhibit pain-related cognitive impairment, but this impairment is associated with other factors.
For instance, social deprivation in combination with chronic pain can impair cognitive ability, affecting daily activities like shopping or housework.
Additionally, low educational attainment can negatively impact cognitive function and increase anxiety, making daily activities more challenging for individuals with osteoarthritis.
Dr. Bast indicates that the experimental model allows them to study the impact of chronic knee pain separately from other factors, a feat impossible in human studies.
Future research can utilize this model to explore how factors like age and pain medication interact with chronic pain to cause cognitive impairment.
If you care about pain, please read studies about vitamin K deficiency linked to hip fractures in old people, and these vitamins could help reduce bone fracture risk.
For more information about wellness, please see recent studies that Krill oil could improve muscle health in older people, and eating yogurt linked to lower frailty in older people.
The study was published in The Journal of Pain.
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