Nerves in the News
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Nerves are critical to our health and quality of life. The news will often report on articles that impact nerves even if they do not always focus on nerves directly. Because of this, we have started our Nerves in the News feature. This section will highlight news stories that relate to nerve health to improve your nerve knowledge and life.
DEMENTIA AND CHRONIC PAIN
Original News Story: Dementia risk rises if you live with chronic pain, study says | CNN
Research article cited in the news story: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2215192120
Research article cited in the news story: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2215192120
Many individuals can relate to chronic pain and living with chronic pain is even more difficult. This CNN article highlights that chronic pain, regardless of the cause, results in changes in the brain that are similar to dementia. This study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science earlier this year links chronic pain with increased risk of dementia (www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2215192120).
What is dementia? Dementia is a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with doing everyday activities (https://www.cdc.gov/aging/dementia/). The researchers in this study used an MRI brain scan and a test of performing 11 tasks. They followed over 19000 people, between ages 40 to 69, living in the UK.
What is dementia? Dementia is a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with doing everyday activities (https://www.cdc.gov/aging/dementia/). The researchers in this study used an MRI brain scan and a test of performing 11 tasks. They followed over 19000 people, between ages 40 to 69, living in the UK.
Patients living in chronic pain were more at risk to develop dementia than those not in pain.
The amount or degree of decline in brain function was dependent on the number of chronic pain sites. If a person had two areas of chronic pain, they aged two years’ worth of brain function. When the number of chronic pain areas increased to 5 areas of pain, their brain scan showed 8 years of brain loss regardless of the type of pain or the location in the study.
Dementia can be caused by many factors such as Alzheimer’s disease which is thought to account for 60-70% of dementia cases (www.alz.org, www.dementiasociety.org). It affects a wide range of individuals at different ages. Dementia causes a decrease in cognitive ability such as planning as well as loss of memory. We have all seen individuals with dementia withdraw from social situations and the public.
While this specific study could not identify how chronic pain increased the likelihood of dementia, chronic pain can cause a loss of sleep, limit exercise, and create inflammation in the brain and nerves, which result in loss of brain matter. Dr. Isaacson, a nerve specialist from the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Florida, highlighted that pain signals immune cells to cause inflammation in brain cells, which may lead to changes in brain connectivity and function.
Patients dealing with chronic pain, especially pain from a nerve problem, should find and consult a nerve specialist (www.globalnervefoundation.org/gnf-directory). It may be possible to treat their chronic pain to not only improve the quality of life but to also reduce the likelihood of developing dementia later in life.
Dementia can be caused by many factors such as Alzheimer’s disease which is thought to account for 60-70% of dementia cases (www.alz.org, www.dementiasociety.org). It affects a wide range of individuals at different ages. Dementia causes a decrease in cognitive ability such as planning as well as loss of memory. We have all seen individuals with dementia withdraw from social situations and the public.
While this specific study could not identify how chronic pain increased the likelihood of dementia, chronic pain can cause a loss of sleep, limit exercise, and create inflammation in the brain and nerves, which result in loss of brain matter. Dr. Isaacson, a nerve specialist from the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Florida, highlighted that pain signals immune cells to cause inflammation in brain cells, which may lead to changes in brain connectivity and function.
Patients dealing with chronic pain, especially pain from a nerve problem, should find and consult a nerve specialist (www.globalnervefoundation.org/gnf-directory). It may be possible to treat their chronic pain to not only improve the quality of life but to also reduce the likelihood of developing dementia later in life.
Authored by:
Harry Hoyen, MD
Orthopaedic and Nerve Surgeon
Chair, GNF Awareness Committee
Orthopaedic and Nerve Surgeon
Chair, GNF Awareness Committee