Decreased cognitive function is associated with impaired spatiotemporal gait performance in community dwelling older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain often suffer from cognitive impairments and diminished lower extremity physical function. Prior work suggests that these impairments may be interrelated, however, the relationship between cognition and spatiotemporal gait performance in this population is understudied. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between cognition and spatiotemporal gait performance and determine if cognition mediates the relationship between pain severity and spatiotemporal gait performance in older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain without cognitive impairment. Older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain (n = 36) completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to assess global cognitive function. Spatiotemporal gait analysis was completed using an automated gait mat. Hierarchical regressions and mediation analyses were used to assess the relationship between chronic musculoskeletal pain, cognition, and spatiotemporal gait performance. MoCA scores were significantly associated with double support time, with lower MoCA scores relating with longer double support times (β = -0.686, p = 0.039). After accounting for cognition, pain severity was also associated with slower gait speed (β = -0.422, p = 0.019), and double support time (β = 0.454, p = 0.008). Cognition, however, did not mediate the relationship between pain severity and double support time. Global cognition and pain severity were associated with spatiotemporal gait performance in older adults with chronic pain. Pain severity, but not cognition, however, primarily explained spatiotemporal gait performance in our sample. Future work is needed to elucidate the role of cognition in spatiotemporal gait performance in older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

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