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. 2024 Apr;109(4):474-483.
doi: 10.1113/EP091177. Epub 2024 Feb 17.

Cognition is selectively impaired in males with spinal pain: A retrospective analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Ageing Danish Twins

David C Byfield  1 , Benjamin S Stacey  1 , Damian M Bailey  1
Affiliations

Cognition is selectively impaired in males with spinal pain: A retrospective analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Ageing Danish Twins

David C Byfield et al. Exp Physiol. 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Cognitive decline and spinal pain (back pain [BP] and neck pain [NP]) represent a major public health challenge, yet the potential relationship between them remains elusive. A retrospective analysis of the Longitudinal Study of Ageing Danish Twins was performed to determine any potential relationships between BP/NP and cognitive function adjusting for age, sex, educational and socioeconomic status. A total of 4731 adults (2788 females/1943 males) aged 78 ± 6 (SD) years were included in the analysis. We observed a 1-month prevalence of 25% with BP, 21% with NP and 11% for combined BP/NP. While there were no differences in cognition scores for males and females reporting combined BP/NP, compared to those without combined BP/NP (34.38 points [95% confidence interval (CI) = 31.88, 36.88] vs. 35.72 points [95% CI = 35.19, 36.26]; P = 0.180; and 35.72 points [95% CI = 35.19, 36.26] vs. 35.85 points [95% CI = 35.39, 36.31]; P = 0.327; for male and females, respectively), an adjusted analysis revealed that males with combined BP/NP presented with lower cognitive scores compared to males without combined BP/NP (81.26 points [95% CI = 73.80, 88.72] vs. 79.48 points [95% CI = 70.31, 88.66]; P = 0.043). The findings of this hypothesis-generating study may highlight a potential sex-specific association between spinal pain and later-life neurodegeneration.

Keywords: cognitive function; dementia; neuroinflammation; physical inactivity; spinal pain.

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Conflict of interest statement

D.M.B. is Editor‐in‐Chief of Experimental Physiology, Chair of the Life Sciences Working Group, member of the Human Spaceflight and Exploration Science Advisory Committee to the European Space Agency, member of the Space Exploration Advisory Committee to the UK Space Agency, member of the National Cardiovascular Network for Wales and South East Wales Vascular Network and is affiliated to the companies FloTBI, Inc. and Bexorg, Inc. focused on the technological development of novel biomarkers of cerebral bioenergetic function and structural damage in humans.

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