Geriatric pain and neuropsychological assessment

Pain is a significant problem for the older person, and prevalence increases with age. It is a complex phenomenon involving multiple biological, psychological, and social/environmental determinants. Impact of pain on the functioning and quality of life of older adults can be high due to associations of pain with impaired physical function (Khana, Khana, Namazi, Kercher, & Stange, 1997; Scudds & Robertson, 2000), depression (Khana et al., 1997; Magni, Marchetti, Moreschi, Merskey, & Luchini, 1993), increased sleep disturbance (Ferrell, Ferrell, & Osterweil, 1990; Magni et al., 1993), and increased health care utilization and costs (Gallagher, Verma, & Mossey, 2000). Older adults with pain are three times more likely to become disabled than those without pain, controlling for age, number of chronic conditions, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality (Scudds & Robertson, 1998). Severe pain that interferes with function is not part of the natural aging process and should not be accepted as “part of growing old;" it is a health problem that requires vigorous assessment and management.