Creating a personalized approach to help older adults with chronic pain reduce hazardous alcohol use
Official title: Development of a Tailored Alcohol Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Protocol for Older Adults with Chronic Pain
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-10947777 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on a special program to help older adults with chronic pain who may be drinking too much alcohol, aiming to make it easier for them to get the support they need to cut back on drinking and improve their health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 3, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $192,851 |
| NIH project number | 1K23AG088376-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10947777 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older adults who experience chronic pain and engage in hazardous alcohol consumption.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have chronic pain or do not consume alcohol may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a tailored protocol for alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment specifically for older adults suffering from chronic pain. The approach recognizes that hazardous drinking is common in this population and can worsen pain and health issues. By customizing the intervention to address the unique challenges faced by older adults, such as pain management and the effects of alcohol on their health, the study aims to effectively reduce hazardous drinking behaviors. Participants will be involved in refining and testing this new protocol to ensure it meets their needs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve the health and quality of life for older adults with chronic pain by reducing hazardous alcohol use.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that tailored interventions can effectively reduce hazardous drinking in various populations, suggesting a promising outlook for this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Larowe, Lisa — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Larowe, Lisa
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Motor cortex tricks to ease chronic pain
A study in rodents and people tests whether non-invasive brain stimulation of the motor cortex can reduce chronic pain and how best to target it.
-
Human pain center study to map normal and migraine-trigeminal neurons
A large NIH-funded project will map and study the human trigeminal neurons involved in migraines to understand what changes in these cells during headache conditions.
-
Understanding human pain neurons to improve migraine care
Researchers are studying human pain-sensing neurons to uncover what makes migraine start and persist, with the goal of better treatments for people who experience migraines.
-
Whole Person Pain Algorithm to personalize chronic pain care
A new, evidence-based model helps explain why chronic low back pain affects people differently and could guide personalized diagnosis and treatment.
-
Understanding how to use pharmacogenomic testing to guide chronic pain care
This grant looks at how doctors who treat long‑term pain decide when and how to use genetic testing to tailor pain medicines for safer and more effective care.
-
Mindfulness and Self-Hypnosis for Pain in Older Adults
This grant tests non-drug ways like mindfulness and self-hypnosis to help people over 60 manage chronic pain.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.