Treating depression and chronic pain to lower dementia risk
Project 2: Depression and chronic pain: Modifiable targets for prevention of AD/ADRD
This project looks at whether treating depression and chronic pain can lower the chance of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11189729 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or someone like you is included, the team will compare people with and without depression and chronic pain using large medical records, surveys, and genetic data to see how these conditions and their treatments relate to memory decline and dementia. They will examine both medication and non-drug treatments, the severity and duration of depression, and how other illnesses such as cerebrovascular disease affect risk. The researchers will combine electronic health records, national long-term studies with repeated cognitive tests, and genetic information to reduce bias and produce more reliable estimates. Results may point to treatment approaches or patient groups where preventing or better treating depression and pain could lower dementia risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults—particularly older adults—with a history of depression and/or chronic pain and with available medical records or participation in long-term health studies.
Not a fit: People without depression or chronic pain or those without accessible health records or cohort data are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify ways to reduce dementia risk by treating depression and chronic pain earlier or more effectively.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked depression and chronic pain to higher dementia risk, but long-term effects of treating these conditions on dementia prevention remain largely uncertain, so this combined-data approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University Medical Campus — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gilsanz, Paola — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Gilsanz, Paola
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.