Chronic pain, depression, and cognitive trajectories in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: A longitudinal cohort study - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #depression
- #chronic pain
- #cognitive decline
- The study analyzed 7,671 Chinese middle-aged and older adults from the CHARLS cohort (2011-2015).
- Three distinct cognitive trajectories were identified: low (13.93%), moderate (40.57%), and high (45.50%).
- Chronic pain independently increased the odds of belonging to the low (OR=1.95) and moderate (OR=1.49) cognitive trajectories.
- Severe chronic pain showed the strongest association with the low cognitive trajectory (OR=2.11), indicating a dose-dependent relationship.
- Coexisting chronic pain and depression led to accelerated cognitive decline compared to having neither condition (P<0.001).
- Early screening and integrated interventions targeting both chronic pain and depression are recommended to mitigate cognitive decline.