A one-year follow-up study of chronic pain in community-dwelling older adults with and without neuropathic pain

Chronic Pain and Pain Management in Older Adults: Protocol and Pilot Results

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain occurs in 30% of older adults. This prevalence rate is expected to increase, given the growth in the older adult population and the associated growth of chronic conditions contributing to pain. No population-based studies have provided detailed, longitudinal information on the experience of chronic pain in older adults; the pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies that older adults use to manage their chronic pain; and the effect of chronic pain on patient-reported outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

This article aims to describe the protocol for a population-based, longitudinal study focused on understanding the experience of chronic pain in older adults. The objectives are to determine the prevalence and characteristics of chronic pain; identify the pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain treatments used; evaluate for longitudinal differences in biopsychosocial factors; and examine how pain types and pain trajectories affect important patient-reported outcomes. Also included are the results of a pilot study.

METHODS

A population-based sample of approximately 1,888 older adults will be recruited from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago's AmeriSpeak Panel to complete surveys at three waves: enrollment (Wave 1), 6 months (Wave 2), and 12 months (Wave 3). To determine the feasibility, a pilot test of the enrollment survey was conducted among 123 older adults.

RESULTS

In the pilot study, older adults with chronic pain reported a range of pain conditions, with osteoarthritis being the most common. Participants reported an array of pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain strategies. Compared to participants without chronic pain, those with chronic pain reported lower physical and cognitive function and poorer quality of life. Data collection for the primary, longitudinal study is ongoing.

DISCUSSION

This project will be the first longitudinal population-based study to examine the experience and overall effect of chronic pain in older adults. Pilot study results provide evidence of the feasibility of study methods. Ultimately, this work will inform the development of tailored interventions for older patients targeted to decrease pain and improve function and quality of life.

Friendship in Later Life: How Friends Are Significant Resources in Older Persons' Communication about Chronic Pain

BACKGROUND

This article focuses on how older persons perceive their friends' role in their daily experience of chronic pain. It reports part of the results of a study in which we interviewed 49 participants, aged 75 and older, about the way they communicate about chronic pain within their social network.

METHODOLOGY

Using discourse and content analysis, we first examine older persons' definition of friendship, and then identify the various dimensions of friendship that are engaged in the communication about chronic pain.

RESULTS

Participants define close friends as people with whom they share intimacy and social proximity (same gender, age and experience of pain). These dimensions allow older persons to talk freely about their pain without the fear of being judged or rejected, particularly when it is related to a dynamic of reciprocity.

CONCLUSIONS

This article shows that the contribution of friends to the everyday life of older persons with chronic pain is mainly that of providing emotional support.

Opioids and Falls Risk in Older Adults: A Narrative Review

Pain treatment is important in older adults but may result in adverse events such as falls. Opioids are effective for nociceptive pain but the evidence for neuropathic pain is weak. Nevertheless, both pain and opioids may increase the risk of falls. This narrative literature review aims to summarize the existing knowledge on the opioid-related fall risk in older adults, including the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and assist clinicians in prescribing and deprescribing opioids in older persons. We systematically searched relevant literature on opioid-related fall risk in older adults in PubMed and Scopus in December 2020. We reviewed the literature and evaluated fall-related adverse effects of opioids, explaining how to optimally approach deprescribing of opioids in older adults. Opioid use increases fall risk through drowsiness, (orthostatic) hypotension and also through hyponatremia caused by weak opioids. When prescribing, opioids should be started with low dosages if possible, keeping in mind their metabolic genetic variation. Falls are clinically significant adverse effects of all opioids, and the risk may be dose dependent and highest with strong opioids. The risk is most prominent in older adults prone to falls. To reduce the risk of falls, both pain and the need for opioids should be assessed on a regular basis, and deprescribing or changing to a lower dosage or safer alternative should be considered if the clinical condition allows. Deprescribing should be done by reducing the dosage gradually and by assessing and monitoring the pain and withdrawal symptoms at the same time. Weighing the risks and benefits is necessary before prescribing opioids, especially to older persons at high risk of falls. Clinical decision tools assist prescribers in clinical decisions regarding (de-) prescribing.

Prior Night Sleep Affects Next-Day Pain Interference Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Lower Extremity Chronic Pain

Emergent work suggests that sleep is a robust biobehavioral predictor of pain; however, it remains unclear how sleep is prospectively linked to pain on a day-to-day basis among older adults. The current prospective study examined how sleep duration (total sleep time), quality (sleep efficiency, wake after sleep onset), and late and irregular sleep timing influenced next-day pain perception among community-dwelling older adults (N = 10; 65 matched observations) with lower extremity chronic pain over 1 week. Multilevel modeling estimated the association between sleep (Actigraph GT9X Link) and pain perception (Brief Pain Inventory Short Form). Increased wake after sleep onset (B = 0.19, p = 0.04), sleep variability (B = 0.02, p = 0.01), and later midsleep time (B = 0.40, p < 0.05) were associated with increased pain interference the following day. Findings support the idea that timely sleep interventions may reduce the effect of poor sleep on next-day pain in older adults. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 14(4), 173-179.].

Emerging Roles of Long Non-coding RNAs in Chronic Neuropathic Pain

Chronic neuropathic pain, a type of chronic and potentially disabling pain caused by a disease or injury of the somatosensory nervous system, spinal cord injury, or various chronic conditions, such as viral infections (e.g., post-herpetic neuralgia), autoimmune diseases, cancers, and metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes mellitus), is one of the most intense types of chronic pain, which incurs a major socio-economic burden and is a serious public health issue, with an estimated prevalence of 7–10% in adults throughout the world. Presently, the available drug treatments (e.g., anticonvulsants acting at calcium channels, serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, topical lidocaine, etc.) for chronic neuropathic pain patients are still rare and have disappointing efficacy, which makes it difficult to relieve the patients’ painful symptoms, and, at best, they only try to reduce the patients’ ability to tolerate pain. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a type of transcript of more than 200 nucleotides with no protein-coding or limited capacity, were identified to be abnormally expressed in the spinal cord, dorsal root ganglion, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex under chronic neuropathic pain conditions. Moreover, a rapidly growing body of data has clearly pointed out that nearly 40% of lncRNAs exist specifically in the nervous system. Hence, it was speculated that these dysregulated lncRNAs might participate in the occurrence, development, and progression of chronic neuropathic pain. In other words, if we deeply delve into the potential roles of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of chronic neuropathic pain, this may open up new strategies and directions for the development of novel targeted drugs to cure this refractory disorder. In this article, we primarily review the status of chronic neuropathic pain and provide a general overview of lncRNAs, the detailed roles of lncRNAs in the nervous system and its related diseases, and the abnormal expression of lncRNAs and their potential clinical applications in chronic neuropathic pain. We hope that through the above description, readers can gain a better understanding of the emerging roles of lncRNAs in chronic neuropathic pain.

The silent epidemic of chronic pain in older adults

Chronic pain is highly prevalent among older adults where it is associated with significant suffering, disability, social isolation, and greater costs and burden to health care systems. Pharmaceutical treatment of chronic pain in older adults is usually only partially effective and is often limited by side effects including urinary retention, constipation, sedation, cognitive impairment, and increased risk of falls. Since older adults are underrepresented in clinical trials testing treatments for chronic pain, the potential impacts of polypharmacy and frailty on reported outcomes and side effect profiles are largely unknown. Thus, for current treatments, providers and patients must balance anticipated benefits of pain reduction with the known and unknown risks of treatment. Chronic pain is also a risk factor for premature death as well as accelerated cognitive decline, suggesting potential shared mechanisms between persistent pain (or its treatment) and dementia. Cognitive decline and dementia may also impact pain perception and the ability to report pain, complicating treatment decisions. Associations between persistent pain and the risks of premature death and accelerated cognitive decline make estimates for chronic pain in these populations particularly challenging. Future research is needed to improve estimates for chronic pain in older adults, to elucidate underlying mechanisms of pain with aging, and to develop and advance safer, more effective treatment options for chronic pain in older adults.

Prevalence of Chronic Pain, Particularly with Neuropathic Component, and Its Effect on Overall Functioning of Elderly Patients

Background

The prevalence of chronic pain among the elderly is high (estimated at 25–85%) and may adversely affect their everyday functioning, although it is often unrecognized.

Material/Methods

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of chronic pain, especially with the neuropathic component, and its effect on overall functioning of elderly patients. We enrolled 145 subjects older than 60 years (nursing home residents, or patients of outpatient geriatric clinic). Information on co-morbidities, functional and mental status, and medications was obtained using a questionnaire. Chronic pain was defined as lasting >3 months and the presence of neuropathic component was detected using the DN4 Questionnaire (Douleur Neuropathique en Questions).

Results

The mean age of patients was 76±9.68 years. Chronic pain was reported by 78% of participants and 32% reported neuropathic pain with neuropathic component (DN4 score ≥4 points). Patients complaining of chronic pain significantly more often presented mood disorders and lower satisfaction with life (particularly those with the highest pain intensity), with no difference in functional status according to the ADL (Activities of Daily Living) tool. Participants with chronic pain were treated with paracetamol (45%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (25%), and opioids (24%).

Conclusions

The prevalence of chronic pain, particularly with neuropathic component, in the elderly population seems to be higher than expected based on previous reports, and its treatment appears to be ineffective. This problem requires further research and dissemination of knowledge on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain among health care workers caring for elderly patients on a daily basis.

Recognising ethnocultural diversity in chronic pain assessment: validation of the Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure (PRISM) for use with culturally diverse communities

BACKGROUND

A comprehensive and accurate assessment of pain is critical for successful pain management. However, there is a lack of reliable and valid assessment tools for exploring multidimensional aspects of the chronic pain experience in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. This study investigates the reliability and validity of the Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure + (PRISM+) for evaluating pain-related suffering and the sociocultural context of chronic pain within culturally and linguistically diverse patient cohorts.

METHOD

Three prospective validation studies are reported for three culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Two hundred and fifty-one patients with chronic pain who self-identified as Assyrian (n = 85), Arabic (n = 83) or Vietnamese (n = 83) completed a PRISM+ assessment, alongside a battery of standardised pain assessments. To evaluate construct validity, the position of the 'pain' disk placement was correlated with the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), and the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). For content validity, thematic analysis of patient narratives accompanying each disk placement was conducted. Test-retest reliability of repeated 'pain' and five additional disks (PRISM+) values was analysed using intra-class correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

The PRISM pain assessment demonstrated moderate to good test-retest reliability for Arabic (ICC 0.76; 95% CI 0.65-0.84), Assyrian (ICC 0.65; 95% CI 0.50-0.76) and Vietnamese (ICC 0.82; 95% CI 0.73-0.88) patients. Moderate correlations between the PRISM 'pain' disk and sub-scores for the BPI, DASS and SF-36 were found (p < 0.001). Patient interpretations of the 'pain' disk aligned with accepted definitions of suffering, supporting content validity for PRISM. For the additional disks (PRISM+), moderate to good test-retest reliability (ICC 0.67-0.88) was observed and qualitative analysis highlighted each disk reflected social and cultural values.

CONCLUSION

The PRISM demonstrates acceptable psychometric properties for measuring pain-related suffering for participants with chronic pain across three culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The use of additional disks (PRISM+) presents a reliable and valid option for exploring social and cultural dimensions of chronic pain in clinical encounters.