CHI Seminar - Sadaf Arefi Milani, PhD, MPH

Center for Health-System Improvement (CHI) "Works-in-Progress Seminar"

Tuesday February 13, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Hybrid Attendance: 4.108 JSA Conference Room or Zoom
Presenter: Dr. Sadaf Arefi Milani, PhD, MPH

“Dementia Medications and their Association with Pain Medication Use in Medicare Beneficiaries with Dementia and Chronic Pain”

Abstract:Chronic pain is highly prevalent among older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Memantine and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (ACHEI; donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine), approved for the treatment of dementia symptoms, may also have analgesic properties. However, findings on the clinical utility of these dementia medications for the treatment of chronic pain are mixed.

Bio:Sadaf Milani, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology. Dr. Milani received a Master of Public Health and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Florida. She also completed an NIA T32 postdoctoral fellowship on health of older minorities at the UTMB Sealy Center on Aging. Dr. Milani studies sex/gender differences in life course pathways for cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Her recent work is focused on pain and pain medication as potentially modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia. She is a Fellow of the Sealy Center on Aging and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Women’s Health.