Chronic Pain Linked to Increased Risk of Clinical Dementia Diagnosis, Brain Ageing

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Recent research published in Anaesthesia journal has found a link between chronic pain and an increased risk of clinical dementia diagnosis. Investigators from Oxford University Medical School conducted a systematic review of 365 studies, comparing neuroimaging, clinical, biological, cognitive, and mental health outcomes in adults with chronic pain to healthy controls. The study revealed widespread alterations in brain health in adults with chronic pain, including lower grey matter volumes, reduced fractional anisotropy, and evidence of accelerated brain ageing.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that chronic pain is associated with an increased risk of clinical dementia diagnosis.
  • Adults with chronic pain exhibit widespread alterations in brain health, including lower grey matter volumes and reduced fractional anisotropy.
  • The most consistently affected brain regions across magnetic resonance imaging studies were the insula, anterior and posterior cingulate, thalamus, hippocampus, primary motor cortex, and cerebellum.
  • The study highlights the need for larger, well-designed studies incorporating clearly defined pain phenotypes, multimodal imaging, and causal inference methods to clarify the role of chronic pain in brain ageing and dementia risk.
  • Chronic pain patients had mixed results in resting state functional connectivity, increased power densities, and connectivity on electroencephalography, and higher levels of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
  • The study's findings suggest that chronic pain may be a contributing factor to brain ageing and dementia.

Statistics:

  • 5805 studies were identified in the systematic review, with 365 meeting the inclusion criteria.
  • Most studies (75%) were cross-sectional, with small sample sizes, conducted in middle-aged populations in China or the USA, and had moderate to high risk of bias.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging was the most common method for assessing brain health, used in 57% of studies.
  • 30 distinct pain phenotypes were identified in the studies, with the most common being neck pain, low back pain, and headaches.
  • The study found that chronic pain patients had older brain age and higher white matter hyperintensities compared to healthy controls.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Findings on Chronic Pain Reported by Researchers at Oxford University Medical School (A systematic review of brain health in adults with chronic pain). Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 27, 2025; p 303.
  • Anaesthesia. A systematic review of brain health in adults with chronic pain, doi: 10.1111/ANESA.2025.
  • Wiley. Anaesthesia, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA, www.wiley.com/.