Journal Club meeting June 10, 2014

Time: 11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m.

Location: Dental Sciences Building, Room D7-11

Thanks to the Baby Boomers one of the largest growing segments of our population is the one over the age of 60. With this increase comes the recognition that there are a wide variety of age-related medical conditions that will have a major impact on our health care system. In recent years the field of pain research has begun to acknowledge that there are many unanswered questions associated with the condition of pain and advancing age (see attached).  Not only are the elderly more vulnerable to a variety of pain conditions but the challenge with pain in the elderly is compounded by comorbidities as well as the influence of age on the HPA-axis, autonomic nervous system, and the immune system. Interest in the relationship of aging and pain is on the rise and the field of pain research is beginning to recognize that all questions related to both acute and chronic pain may have different answers in the elderly. In order to ensure the quality of life in the elderly it will be important to develop strategies for the early identification, improved treatment and prevention of pain prior to old age in an effort to facilitate healthy ageing. How we do this raises many questions and provides the platform for an interesting discussion that will be led by Dr. Steve Anton.

1-s2.0-S0304395913003977-main

j.1526-4637.2012.01339.x

journal.pone.0059858