Resting-state functional connectivity patterns are associated with worst pain duration in community-dwelling older...

An individual's chronic pain history is associated with brain morphometric alterations; but little is known about the association between pain history and brain function.

This cross-sectional study aimed at determining how worst musculoskeletal pain intensity (WPINT) moderated the association between worst musculoskeletal pain duration (WPDUR) and brain resting-state magnetic resonance imaging functional connectivity (RSFC) in community-dwelling older adults (60-94 years, 75% females, 97% right-handed).

Resting-state magnetic resonance imaging functional connectivity between region of interests was linearly regressed on WPDUR and WPINT. Predictions were compared with a control group's average RSFC (61-85 years, 47% females, 95% right-handed).

Three significant patterns emerged: (1) the positive association between WPDUR and RSFC between the medial prefrontal cortex, in the anterior salience network (SN), and bilateral lateral Brodmann area 6, in the visuospatial network (VSN), in participants with more severe chronic pain, resulting in abnormally lower RSFC for shorter WPDUR; (2) the negative association between WPDUR and RSFC between right VSN occipitotemporal cortex (lateral BA37 and visual V5) and bilateral VSN lateral Brodmann area 6, independently of WPINT, resulting in abnormally higher and lower RSFC for shorter and longer WPDUR, respectively; and (3) the positive association between WPDUR and the left hemisphere's salience network-default mode network connectivity (between the hippocampus and both dorsal insula and ventral or opercular BA44), independently of WPINT, resulting in abnormally higher RSFC for longer WPDUR.

Musculoskeletal effects on brain functional networks of general healthy individuals could accumulate until being observable at older ages. Results invite to examinations of these effects' impact on function and memory.