Key clinical point: The impact of chronic pain on depressive symptoms might be affected by changes in the right hippocampal volume in older adults. This finding supports previous research on the role of the right hippocampus in depression and pain, as well as stress.

Major finding: Smaller right hippocampal volume was associated with chronic pain, and models showed a significant indirect impact of chronic pain on depression (P, 0.029).

Study details: The data come from a cross-sectional study of 131 non-demented adults aged 70 years and older who were part of the Einstein Aging Study.

Disclosures: The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, the Leonard and Sylvia Marx Foundation, and the Czap Foundation.