Associations of Musculoskeletal Pain With Mobility in Older Adults: Potential Cerebral Mechanisms.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Musculoskeletal pain is highly prevalent and limits mobility in older adults. A potential mechanism by which pain affects mobility could be through its negative impact on the brain. We examined whether structural integrity of cerebral gray and white matter (WM) mediated the relationship between pain and mobility in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

Musculoskeletal pain, gait speed, and neuroimaging data were obtained concurrently from the Health ABC study (mean age = 83/56% female, n = 212). Microstructural gray matter integrity was measured by mean diffusivity (MD), WM microstructure and macrostructure were measured by fractional anisotropy (FA) and WM hyperintensities (WMH), respectively. Regression models were adjusted for gray matter atrophy, age, gende

SUBMITTER: Cruz-Almeida Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5861958 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature