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Pain intensity and pain affect in relation to white matter changes
Joukje M Oosterman1, Barbera van Harten, Henry C Weinstein
1Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. jm.oosterman@psy.vu.nl
Aging increases dementia and pain risk. White matter changes in older adults correlate with altered pain affect, not intensity, suggesting aging impacts pain perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Pain Research
Background:
- Aging is a significant risk factor for dementia and painful conditions.
- Cognitive and communicative decline in the elderly complicates accurate pain assessment.
- White matter changes are common in aging and dementia, potentially affecting pain processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between white matter changes and pain experience in non-demented elderly individuals.
- To differentiate the impact of white matter changes on pain intensity versus pain affect.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Coloured Analogue Scale (CAS) for pain intensity and the Number of Words Chosen-Affective (NWC-A) for pain affect.
- Examined correlations between the presence of white matter changes and scores on CAS and NWC-A in healthy elderly participants.
Main Results:
- White matter changes were significantly associated with higher NWC-A scores (pain affect).
- No significant relationship was found between white matter changes and CAS scores (pain intensity).
Conclusions:
- Pain experience may be altered by aging, with white matter integrity playing a role in the affective component of pain.
- White matter changes may serve as an indicator of age-related alterations in pain perception.
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