Interconnections among Cognition, Pain, and Physical Function in Aging.

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Project Summary This application is for an Independent Scientist Award (K02) from the National Institute on Aging. The candidate, Dr. Thomas W. Buford, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Buford has to date established a strong scientific track record in aging and the preservation of physical function. His long-term goal is to establish a sustainable research program focused on identifying and developing therapeutic strategies for the preserving physical independence among older adults. The objective of this application is to provide the candidate with the protected time necessary to acquire knowledge and skills needed to incorporate two inter-related areas, cognitive health and pain management, into his existing research program. These areas represent two major epidemics in aging including chronic opioid abuse and cognitive disorders including mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s, and other dementias. While these areas are recognized as high-priorities for older adults and are associated with declining physical function, few investigators to date have routinely incorporated these factors into prospective studies concerning the preservation of physical function among older adults. Acquiring expertise in these areas will provide the candidate with a more nuanced view of the key issues surrounding the preservation of physical independence. Award activities will also lead to and expanded skillset, ultimately contributing to an improved ability to design and execute research studies capable of making meaningful impacts on the health and quality of life of older adults. The training plan includes three primary objectives which are to: 1) Acquire new knowledge and skills to the assessment and maintenance of cognition in aging, 2) acquire new knowledge and skills in the assessment and treatment of pain in older adults, and 3) advance mentoring and leadership skills necessary to support a sustainable research program. The research plan is designed to integrate with the training plan to provide the candidate with opportunities to 1) utilize established data sources to explore novel relationships between cognition/pain and indices of physical function, and 2) participate in prospective data collection to learn laboratory methods in these areas and generate novel data in these areas. His advisory team includes established, well-funded experts in both cognition (Ronald Lazar, PhD; Virginia Wadley, PhD) and pain (Roger Fillingim, PhD, Burel Goodin, PhD) in aging as well in biostatistics (Gerald McGwin, PhD) and research leadership (Marcas Bamman, PhD). This outstanding team will facilitate the candidate’s success in integrating these new concepts with his existing research. This K02 award will provide the candidate with protected time to expand his research program which will enhance the overall creativity and sustainability of his research. Ultimately this progress is expected to enhance his potential to make significant contributions to the field of healthy aging and to improve the training of future mentees by creating a more interdisciplinary approach incorporating principles from physical, cognitive, and pain sciences.