Papers of the Week

Chronic pain is prevalent among older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD). Memantine and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (ACHEI; donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine) are approved for the treatment of dementia symptoms and may also have analgesic properties. However, findings on the clinical utility of these dementia medications for chronic pain treatment are mixed, and little is known about differences in the use of pain medication according to whether an older adult with AD/ADRD is using dementia medications.