Are older adults with cancer and Alzheimer’s more sensitive to pain?

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and The Ohio State University have been awarded a five-year, $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Aging to study the impact of cancer and co-occurring Alzheimer’s disease on pain perception.

“People with worsening cognitive function are at risk of experiencing pain that goes untreated. This may be particularly harmful for older adults with Alzheimer’s who also suffer from chronic cancer pain,” said Ronald Cowan, M.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a principal investigator on the grant.