Int J GeriatrGerontol, an open access journal ISSN: 2577-0748 1 Volume 7; Issue 02 Review Article On the Etiology and Characteristic of Pain in the Elderly Sufering from Dementia Wilson Astudillo A 1 , Luis C Alvaro G 2 , Antonio Salinas M 3 , Michael Silbermann 4* , Zemilson Bastos Brandao 5 , John Comba M 6 , Carmen Mendinueta A 7 1 Neurologist, Chair Palliativos Sin Fronteras (PSF),San Sebastian, Spain. 2 Neurologist Universidad del País Vasco Hospital de Basurto, Bilbao, Spain 3 Paliativist.Radiotherapist Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Candelaria, PSF Spain, Tenerife 4 Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel 5 Anaesthetis. Rede D´oR Sao Luis de Hospitales, Brasil PSF Brasil 6 Pathologist Hospital Universitario Donostia, PSF Spain,San Sebastian 7 General physician, PSF Spain San Sebastian, Spain *Corresponding author: Silbermann M. Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Citation: Astudillo AW, Alvaro GLC, Salinas MA, Silbermann M, Brandao ZB, et al. (2023) On the Etiology and Characteristic of Pain in the Elderly Sufering from Dementia. Int J Geriatr Gerontol 7: 164. DOI: 10.29011/2577-0748.100064 Received Date: 16 August, 2023; Accepted Date: 01 September, 2023; Published Date: 08 September, 2023 International Journal of Geriatrics and Gerontology Wilson Astudillo A et al. Int J Geriatr Gerontol 7: 164. www.doi.org/10.29011/2577-0748.100064 www.gavinpublishers.com Abstract Unaddressed pain poses a signifcant problem for individuals with dementia, resulting in substantial distress and unnecessary sufering. The main causes of pain in dementia patients are reviewed. Some of them overlap with those faced by other patients, while others are distinct due to the specifc neuropathological transformations inherent to dementia. These changes often modify the way pain is perceived, anticipated, and physically responded to. Consequently, diverse pain experiences and altered anticipatory and motor reactions can arise. It is imperative to enhance research, training, and the comprehension of pain management among healthcare practitioners, specifcally concerning patients with dementia. Keywords: dementias, pain pathways, causes, behavioural disorders, pathological changes. “There is nothing in man of a more fragile nature than memory, since it is afected by illness, injury and even fear”. Plinio, the Elder. First Century Introduction Pain is underestimated and undertreated mostly in elderly in all settings of care, but also in middle aged man and women [1,2]. Its prevalence increases with age afecting 25 % y 83% of the elderly living in the community and up to 80 % living in nursing homes experience chronic pain[3,4]. Dementia patients are also commonly afected by acute and chronic pain, which is often unrecognized and undertreated due lack of recognition and of insight that may mean that patients with dementia fail to report pain. Aphasia also could lead to problems expressing pain. It is estimated that between 20% and 50% of with moderate to severe dementia sufer from chronic pain [5,6]. Likewise , Landi [7] found that individuals with dementia had a 20 % lower probability of receiving analgesics for daily pain than those with normal cognition and Morrison and Siu [8] found that after hip surgery, dementia patients received only one-third as much opioid analgesics as those with normal cognition. Pain can be accompanied by disability, sleep disturbances, reduced mobility, weight loss, depression, anxiety, and behavioral and emotional disturbances [1-3]. Its persistence causes unnecessary sufering, compromises functionality and quality of life, and contributes