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Elevated dementia risk, cognitive decline, and hippocampal atrophy in multisite chronic pain
Zhao W, Zhao L, Chang X, Lu X, Tu Y.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2023-02-21
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Numerous studies have investigated the impacts of common types of chronic pain (CP) on patients' cognitive function and observed that CP was associated with later dementia. More recently, there is a growing recognition that CP conditions frequently coexist at multiple body sites and may bring more burdens on patients' overall health. However, whether and how multisite CP (MCP) contributes to an increased risk of dementia, compared to single-site CP (SCP) and pain-free (PF), is largely unclear.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Zhao, W., Zhao, L., Chang, X., Lu, X., & Tu, Y. (2023). Elevated dementia risk, cognitive decline, and hippocampal atrophy in multisite chronic pain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215192120
Vancouver
Zhao W, Zhao L, Chang X, Lu X, Tu Y. Elevated dementia risk, cognitive decline, and hippocampal atrophy in multisite chronic pain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2023. doi:10.1073/pnas.2215192120. PMID: 36802440.
BibTeX
@article{zhao2023-36802440,
author = {Zhao, W. and Zhao, L. and Chang, X. and Lu, X. and Tu, Y.},
title = {{Elevated dementia risk, cognitive decline, and hippocampal atrophy in multisite chronic pain}},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2215192120},
pmid = {36802440},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215192120}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- More recently, there is a growing recognition that CP conditions frequently coexist at multiple body sites and may bring more burdens on patients' overall health.
- However, whether and how multisite CP (MCP) contributes to an increased risk of dementia, compared to single-site CP (SCP) and pain-free (PF), is largely unclear.
- In the current study, utilizing the UK Biobank cohort, we first investigated dementia risk in individuals (n = 354,943) with different numbers of coexisting CP sites using Cox proportional hazards regression models.
- We then applied generalized additive models to investigate whether MCP leads to excessive deterioration of participants' (n = 19,116) cognition and brain structure.
Why it matters
This study examined whether chronic pain at multiple body sites is associated with higher dementia risk, cognitive decline and hippocampal atrophy compared with single-site pain or no pain. It is observational and does not test any treatment or prevention.
Study details
- Participants354,943
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 62/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: journal h-index 1,167 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 354,943 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 116 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 23.2 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 20.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 110 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Yiheng Tu: h-index 33 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Chinese Academy of Sciences: institution h-index 1,801 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 36802440) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 62 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215192120
- PubMed: 36802440
- Original source →
- Free full text: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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