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Scientific conference poster titled "Chronic Pain Associations with Plasma p-tau217 and Alzheimer's-Signature Brain Structure in Older Men," by Tyler R. Bell and colleagues, for the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). The poster is arranged in three columns under a purple header bearing the UC San Diego seal and the VETSA logo.

The left column contains the Introduction, Methods, and Statistical Analyses. The Introduction states that chronic pain is common in later life and has been linked to faster cognitive decline and higher dementia risk, though existing evidence relies on broad cognitive endpoints rather than Alzheimer's-specific measures. The objective was to test whether chronic pain measured from roughly age 56 to 68 predicts AD-related brain structure, plasma p-tau217, and their 6-year change, and whether these associations depend on age and APOE ε4 dosage. Methods: 871 cognitively unimpaired men, with chronic pain assessed across Waves 1 to 3 (mean ages 56, 62, 68) via the SF-36, present in 151 men (17.3 percent). AD measures were plasma p-tau217 (ALZpath Simoa HD-X), an AD cortical thickness/volume signature, and an AD mean diffusivity signature, each derived from ADNI-weighted composites and assessed at Wave 3 and Wave 4 (six years later). Linear mixed models adjusted for age, opioid use, depressive symptoms, and APOE ε4 dosage, with a random intercept for twin pairs and FDR correction; the pain-by-age interaction was probed at ages 65 and 70.

The center column presents Table 1 (key linear mixed model results) and Figure 1. Table 1 reports beta and standard error for chronic pain and its interactions with age, time, and time-by-age across three outcomes. For plasma p-tau217, the chronic pain effect was .178 (.094) and the pain-by-age interaction .086 (.039), significant. For the AD cortical signature, the pain-by-time and pain-by-time-by-age terms were significant and negative (−.053 and −.024). For the AD mean diffusivity signature, the pain-by-time-by-age term was significant and positive (.023). Figure 1 is a box-plot comparing plasma p-tau217 between men with and without chronic pain, split by age 65 and age 70; the pain-related elevation was larger at age 70 (beta = 0.47, p = .003) than at age 65 (beta = 0.15, p = .105).

The right column contains Results notes, Figure 2, and Conclusions. Figure 2 shows two line plots of 6-year change from Wave 3 to Wave 4, comparing chronic pain versus no chronic pain at ages 65 and 70. The top panel (AD cortical thickness/volume) shows steeper decline with chronic pain, more pronounced at age 70 (beta = −0.14, p < .001). The bottom panel (AD mean diffusivity) shows greater increase with chronic pain at age 70 (beta = 0.12, p = .003). Notes indicate that men with chronic pain were older, more depressed, and more likely to use opioids, and that APOE ε4 dosage did not moderate any associations. Conclusions: chronic pain was associated with higher p-tau217 and faster degeneration in AD-vulnerable cortical structures, with pain-related AD risk strengthening with age; mechanisms remain to be established, with neuroinflammation a candidate.

A purple footer lists NIA grant support and the contact email trbell@health.ucsd.edu.