RESEARCH - The relationship of pain and depression to cognitive function in RA patients

[Guest guest]

Pain. 2002 Apr;96(3):279-84.

The relationship of pain and depression to cognitive function in

rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Brown SC, Glass JM, Park DC.

The Center on Aging and Cognition: Health, Education, and Training

(CACHET), Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426

Street, Room 5241, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, USA.

The purpose of this study was to assess the hypothesis that pain and

depression negatively impact the cognitive functioning of individuals

with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One hundred twenty-one

community-dwelling RA patients (ages 34-84) completed a battery of

cognitive tasks and multiple measures of pain and depression.

Structural equation modeling techniques were used to assess the

relative contributions of pain, depression, and age to cognitive

performance. Individuals who performed poorly on cognitive tasks

reported more pain and depression and were older than those

individuals who performed well on cognitive tasks. Moreover, high

levels of pain were associated with depression. Further analyses

revealed that depression mediated the relationship between pain and

cognition. That is, when depression was entered into the analyses, the

previously significant effects of pain on cognition were no longer

found. Interestingly, depression still mediated the pain-cognition

relationship even after controlling for age. These findings suggest

the importance of both pain and depression for understanding cognitive

function in RA and may have important implications for treating this

disease.

PMID: 11973000

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11973000

Not an MD

[Guest guest]

Hi :

I enjoyed this article, and I totally agree with that study.

Wishing you a pain free day.

Hugs,

Barbara

>

> Pain. 2002 Apr;96(3):279-84.

>

>

> The relationship of pain and depression to cognitive function in

> rheumatoid arthritis patients.

>

>

> Brown SC, Glass JM, Park DC.

> The Center on Aging and Cognition: Health, Education, and Training

> (CACHET), Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426

> Street, Room 5241, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, USA.

>

>

> The purpose of this study was to assess the hypothesis that pain and

> depression negatively impact the cognitive functioning of individuals

> with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One hundred twenty-one

> community-dwelling RA patients (ages 34-84) completed a battery of

> cognitive tasks and multiple measures of pain and depression.

> Structural equation modeling techniques were used to assess the

> relative contributions of pain, depression, and age to cognitive

> performance. Individuals who performed poorly on cognitive tasks

> reported more pain and depression and were older than those

> individuals who performed well on cognitive tasks. Moreover, high

> levels of pain were associated with depression. Further analyses

> revealed that depression mediated the relationship between pain and

> cognition. That is, when depression was entered into the analyses, the

> previously significant effects of pain on cognition were no longer

> found. Interestingly, depression still mediated the pain-cognition

> relationship even after controlling for age. These findings suggest

> the importance of both pain and depression for understanding cognitive

> function in RA and may have important implications for treating this

> disease.

>

>

> PMID: 11973000

>

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11973000

>

>

>

> Not an MD

>