Pain Severity and Interference in Different Parkinson’s Disease Cognitive Phenotypes

INTRODUCTION: Chronic pain is prevalent in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) with many individuals also experiencing cognitive deficits negatively impacting everyday life. METHODS: In this study, we examine differences in pain severity and interference between 113 nondemented individuals with idiopathic PD who were statistically classified as having low executive function (n=24), low memory function (n=35), no cognitive deficits (n=54). The individuals with PD were also compared to matched non-PD controls (n=64). RESULTS: PD participants with low executive function reported significantly higher pain interference (p<0.05), despite reporting similar pain severity levels compared to other phenotypes. These differences remained statistically significant, even after accounting for important confounders such as anxiety and depression (p<0.05). DISCUSSION: Pain interference in those with lower executive function may represent a target for psychosocial interventions for individuals with pain and PD.