PainRelief.com: What are the main findings?

Response:  The retrospective nature of our study does not allow us to establish causality; rather we discovered an association between gabapentin prescription and dementia. Our findings reflect that patients prescribed gabapentin for chronic low back pain were more likely to develop dementia, although we cannot say that gabapentin caused this.

PainRelief.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: The key takeaway of this study is that patients prescribed gabapentin for chronic back pain should be closely monitored by their physician for cognitive decline. Moreover, gabapentin should be prescribed with more caution due to the associated risk of dementia/cognitive impairment.

PainRelief.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Further research is needed to explore whether there is a true causative relationship between gabapentin and cognitive impairment, as well as the underlying mechanisms of how the drug may impact cognition.

No disclosures.

Citation: Eghrari NB, Yazji IH, Yavari B, et al
Risk of dementia following gabapentin prescription in chronic low back pain patients
Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine Published Online First: 10 July 2025. doi: 10.1136/rapm-2025-106577
https://rapm.bmj.com/content/early/2025/07/02/rapm-2025-106577

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Last Updated on July 17, 2025 by PainRelief.com