Pao-Feng Tsai,
PhD, RN, Assistant Professor

My primary research focus is on issues related to chronic pain and chronic illness, such as nursing management of persons who have dementia with chronic pain from osteoarthritis. I am currently funded by the College of Nursing to investigate the impact of exercise on pain and sleep in elders with osteoarthritis and the possible objective measure of pain. Many persons with dementia suffer from chronic pain that may exacerbate existing cognitive impairment and lead to further suffering. Inability to communicate pain poses great difficulty for pain management in persons with dementia, therefore, their pain tends to be under-treated. Since pain management depends on adequate pain assessment, it is necessary to find a valid tool to accurately assess pain in elders with dementia.   Musculoskeletal complaints, e.g. arthritis, account for most of the pain complaints in nursing home patients with dementia. Finding an appropriate intervention to reduce their musculoskeletal pain complaint will benefit many persons with dementia in nursing homes.

Due to the fact that women in their mid 40's begin to show some symptoms of osteoarthritis, my future research will focus more on the intervention for middle age women with osteoarthritis. Appropriate nursing intervention in the early stage of osteoarthritis will slow the disease progression and prevent them from developing pain and disability in the future.