Having a headache or an aching back occasionally is a common part of life. However, for some people, pain isn’t just an occasional visitor.
It sticks around, turns into chronic pain, and shows up in multiple parts of the body.
Not only does this make life uncomfortable, but it might also be linked to a higher risk of dementia, as a group of Chinese scientists recently discovered.
Chronic Pain and Dementia: Is There a Connection?
A research team led by Dr. Tu Yiheng from the Institute of Psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences found out that people suffering from chronic pain in multiple parts of their body were more likely to have dementia.
The team also found that these individuals experienced a faster decline in their cognitive abilities, including memory, learning, attention, and the ability to plan and organize (executive function).
Diving into the Details: How Was the Study Conducted?
The researchers utilized data from the UK Biobank, a huge health resource containing information from hundreds of thousands of people in the UK. They analyzed the records of over 350,000 people.
They found out that as the number of places in the body where people experienced pain increased, so did their risk of neurocognitive abnormalities.
Neurocognitive abnormalities refer to issues with brain function affecting memory, learning, understanding, and other cognitive abilities.
The Role of the Hippocampus in Chronic Pain
An interesting finding of the study is that the increased risk of cognitive problems was linked to shrinkage in a part of the brain called the hippocampus.
The hippocampus plays a vital role in our memory. As we age, the volume of the hippocampus naturally decreases. The scientists discovered that in people with chronic pain in multiple sites, this shrinkage was more pronounced.
They equated the effects of this shrinkage to the effects of aging in healthy people around 60 years old.
According to Dr. Tu, “Multisite chronic pain could lead to up to eight years of faster aging in the hippocampus. This might be the reason behind a range of cognitive issues.”
The Bigger Picture: Why is this Study Important?
This study is significant as it provides a numerical understanding of how chronic pain impacts cognitive function and the risk of dementia.
It lays the groundwork for future studies into the link between chronic pain and cognitive decline. It highlights the need to consider the overlapping nature of pain conditions in both basic research and clinical studies.
In other words, this study suggests that chronic pain isn’t just a physical problem; it could also be a mental health issue.
Understanding this connection might lead to better strategies for managing chronic pain and reducing the risk of dementia.
As the world’s population ages, such strategies could improve the quality of life for millions of people.
If you care about pain, please read studies about why long COVID can cause pain, and common Native American plants may help reduce diarrhea and pain.
If you care about dementia, please read studies that walking patterns may help identify specific types of dementia, and common high blood pressure drugs may help lower your dementia risk.
The study was published in PNAS.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
