Clinical trial NCT04864223: Classifying and Predicting Long-term Pain and Function in Older Adults
Official title: A New Approach to Classifying and Predicting Long-term Bothersome Pain and Functional Decline in Older Adults
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Chronic Pain
Pain
Keywords: older adults
chronic pain
function
physical performance
Lead sponsor: University of Washington
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of Pittsburgh
First posted: 2021-04-28
Enrollment: 6783
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 65
Standard ages: OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: NHATS is a cohort of older adults and is representative of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 years and older. It is a "unique national resource for the scientific study of functioning in later life." The sample is drawn from the Medicare enrollment files, and the survey oversamples Blacks and those at older ages. NHATS data collection began in 2011 (Round 1) with in-person interviews. Participants were re-interviewed yearly (Rounds 2-7). This is a unique cohort because it contains comprehensive survey data in addition to physical performance measures for individuals over multiple years. During each round, NHATS collects a wide array of information during the interviews, including: demographic, health, social, economic, environmental, cognitive, behavioral, and physical data.

Brief summary: This project will use novel methods to detect clinically meaningful subgroups of older adults based on long-term trajectories of bothersome pain and function. It will then identify older adults at high risk of experiencing poor long-term pain and function. Anticipated results will provide new insights into long-term patterns of pain and function across the aging process and identify potential predictors of each trajectory.

Detailed description: The long-term goal of this planned line of research is to reduce the burden of pain and maximize function in older adults as they age. This line of research will begin by completing the following Aims: Aim 1) Identify and describe clinically meaningful long-term trajectories of bothersome pain and functional decline in a population-based sample of older adults and Aim 2) Estimate the association between candidate prognostic factors typically available in electronic health records and long-term bothersome pain and function trajectories to inform the development of eventual risk prediction models. This will be a retrospective cohort study using longitudinal data from the population-based National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). This project will use novel methods to identify clinically meaningful subgroups of older adults based on long-term trajectories of bothersome pain and function. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) is a novel method to model dynamic phenomena such as pain and function. Older adults at high risk of experiencing poor long-term pain and function outcomes will be identified by leveraging potential prognostic factors typically available in electronic health records or administrative data. It is anticipated that our results will provide new insights into long-term patterns of pain and function across the aging process and identify potential predictors of each trajectory.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* community-dwelling older adults from Round 1 of the NHATS cohort

Exclusion Criteria:

* participants who are non-ambulatory (require a wheelchair or scooter for mobility) at Round 1

Primary outcomes:
measure: Bothersome Pain
timeFrame: 6 years
measure: Physical Performance
timeFrame: 6 years
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Activity Limitations Due to Pain
timeFrame: 6 years
measure: Functional Capacity
timeFrame: 6 years
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Seattle
country: United States
facility: University of Washington
state: Washington
Study officials:
References: