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Persistent pain is associated with lower locus coeruleus integrity in older adults

Persistent pain has been recently linked to increased Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk, calling for the identification of related AD biomarkers. One biomarker of interest is integrity of the locus coeruleus (LC), a brainstem region that is thought to be the earliest site of tau deposition in the brain. The LC is also the main projection site for norepinephrine (NE), a major neurotransmitter inhibiting pain via rostral and caudal LC projections. A recently proposed mechanism suggests that persistent pain alters LC‐NE function and advances AD pathology in this region, explaining increased AD risk. Here we examined the association between persistent pain and LC integrity in older adults.