Alzheimer patients report less pain intensity and pain affect than non-demented elderly

PAIN assessment for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is generally aim ed at quantifying pain, i.e., the intensity and locations of pain. Based on the extensive neuropathology in limbic brain areas with this disorder, we hypothesized that, compared to control patients, AD patients would report a n additional loss of qualitative aspects of pain, i.e., pain affect. This h ypothesis was tested by administering specific parts of three pain question naires and comparing the use of analgesics in 19 AD patients with that of 1 8 elderly patients without dementia who were matched for the presence of pa inful conditions. Results reveal that AD patients, compared to controls, ex perience less intense pain and less pain affect. In contrast, the number of AD patients using analgesics did not differ from the number of controls. T hese findings suggest that pain assessment for patients with AD should be f ocused on both quantitative and qualitative aspects of pain.