Education level is a strong determinant of cognitive function as measured by MoCA in people with chronic low back pain

Background: Over recent years there has been increasing clinical interest in the relationship between chronic pain and cognitive function. There are very few studies on individuals with low back pain (LBP) in the literature, which has remained under-researched. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate cognitive function in individuals with chronic back pain and investigate the effects of different variables on cognition. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: In this study, 115 individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) participated. The sociodemographic characteristics of the individuals who participated were recorded, including age, sex, weight, height, education and pain duration. Pain intensity of the individuals was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale, functional status was evaluated with the Oswestry Disability Index, and cognitive function was evaluated using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Results: One hundred fifteen individuals with CLBP were recruited. The mean age was 48.4±11.8, and the mean MoCA score was 22.9±4.4. MoCA scores were associated with education, age, gender and pain intensity. Conclusions: The findings obtained in the current study showed that individuals with CLBP had low MoCA scores and cognitive function was affected. In individuals with CLBP, cognitive function was affected depending on education level, age and intensity of pain. Assessment of the cognitive function in pain management can be useful for clinicians interested in LBP.