Relationship Between Rheumatoid Arthritis Severity and Cognition in the Elderly: The Role of Nociplastic Pain

The Mediating Effect of Nociplastic Pain on the Relationship Between Rheumatoid Arthritis Severity and Cognition in Geriatric Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

this study aims to determine if nociplastic pain mediates the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) severity and cognitive impairment in geriatric patients 100 patients aged 65-90 years with long-standing RA and assess their disease severity, cognition, and pain sensitization will be recruited. Expectations that patients with more severe RA will have worse cognitive function, and that this relationship will be mediated by higher levels of nociplastic pain.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 65-90 years
• diagnosed with RA for 10-30 years
• meet ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other inflammatory arthritides
• dementia
• severe depression
• recent corticosteroid or immunosuppressant use