When Biology Ages Faster than Years: Implications for Chronic Pain

Session Title: When Biology Ages Faster than Years: Implications for Chronic Pain

Topic: CLINICAL SCIENCE

Description of Workshop: Chronic pain is highly prevalent in older adults and represents one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Yet, age in years does not fully capture vulnerability to pain: biological ageing processes, including molecular, cellular, and psychological changes, appear to be stronger determinants of pain risk, persistence, and treatment response. Understanding biological ageing in the context of chronic pain is essential to advancing prevention and treatment strategies tailored to an ageing population. This workshop will bring together international experts with complementary perspectives on the role of ageing in chronic pain.
Prof. Yenisel Cruz-Almeida (University of Florida, USA) will provide an overview of biological ageing and pain, introducing key concepts such as biological aging biomarkers —including epigenetic and brain age—used to measure age acceleration, as well as the role of neuroimmune interactions in shaping vulnerability to chronic pain. She will also present work on brain-epigenetic signatures associated with chronic high-impact pain, demonstrating how these markers can predict pain progression and resilience over time in these individuals.
Assoc. Prof. Rocco Giordano (Aalborg University, Denmark) will present emerging findings on epigenetic signatures and molecular biomarkers as predictors of pain. He will highlight the potential of microRNAs, DNA methylation, and proteomic profiles to capture inter-individual variability in chronic pain outcomes.
Prof. Robert R. Edwards (Harvard Medical School, USA) will discuss the psychological and psychosocial dimensions of ageing and chronic pain. He will address how age-related changes in resilience, affective processes, social networks, and coping strategies contribute to pain perception and disability, and how these factors interact with biological ageing pathways.
Together, the presentations will provide an integrated overview of biological ageing in chronic pain, spanning molecular to system-level mechanisms, clinical biomarkers, and psychosocial influences.
The panel will also discuss methodological challenges, opportunities for interdisciplinary research, and implications for individualized pain management in older adults. This session will include a discussion across basic, clinical, and psychological domains, aiming to inspire translational approaches that bridge ageing research and pain management.

Speakers