Primary-care therapy to help memory, mood, and pain in older adults with mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer's
PATH-Pain: A Primary Care-Based Psychosocial Intervention To Improve Cognitive and Depression Outcomes in Older Adults with MCI and Early Stage AD
A brief therapy delivered in primary care to help older adults with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's who also have chronic pain and depression improve thinking, mood, and daily function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166318 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would receive Problem Adaptation Therapy for Pain (PATH-Pain) through your primary care clinic, which uses emotion regulation, problem solving, and activity-building techniques to reduce stress and pain-related distress. The program teaches ways to manage negative emotions, boost positive activities, and address practical problems that make pain and depression worse. Caregivers or family members may be involved to reduce tension and support daily tasks. Your outcomes would be compared to people getting usual attention-control care to see if PATH-Pain helps thinking, mood, and everyday function more.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage Alzheimer's disease who also have chronic pain and symptoms of depression and who receive care at participating primary care clinics.
Not a fit: People with advanced dementia, no chronic pain or depression, or who cannot attend primary care visits at participating sites are unlikely to benefit from this specific program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce pain-related distress and depression while helping thinking and daily functioning in people with MCI or early Alzheimer's.
How similar studies have performed: Related PATH interventions and other psychosocial therapies have shown promise for mood and functioning in older adults with cognitive impairment, but applying PATH specifically to pain in early Alzheimer's is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kiosses, Dimitris N — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Kiosses, Dimitris N
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 below.