GABAPENTIN PRESCRIPTION AND HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES IN OLDER ADULTS - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT GABAPENTIN,…

Assistance award details

Assistance award identifier

ASST_NON_R00AG084892_075

FAIN

R00AG084892

Recipient

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, THE

Awarding agency

Department of Health and Human Services

Funding agency

Department of Health and Human Services

Assistance listing (CFDA)

93.866

Total obligated

$249,000

Period

Dec 15, 2023 – Aug 31, 2029

Fiscal year

2026

Place of performance state

KY

Source file

FY2026_All_Assistance_Full_20261006.zip

Description

GABAPENTIN PRESCRIPTION AND HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES IN OLDER ADULTS - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT GABAPENTIN, CURRENTLY APPROVED TO TREAT PARTIAL SEIZURES AND POSTHERPETIC NEURALGIA, WAS THE 6TH MOST COMMONLY PRESCRIBED MEDICATION IN THE US IN 2018. NOTABLY, CLOSE TO 95% OF GABAPENTIN PRESCRIPTIONS ARE FOR OFF-LABEL INDICATIONS, SUCH AS NEUROPATHIC PAIN, MIGRAINES, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS. GABAPENTIN'S WIDESPREAD USE MAY BE DRIVEN BY A BELIEF THAT IT IS A SAFER DRUG THAN OPIOIDS AND ANTIPSYCHOTICS. HOWEVER, THERE IS AN INCREASING CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF GABAPENTIN USE, AND SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE REPORTED THAT GABAPENTIN HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR MISUSE AND ABUSE. IN PARTICULAR, ALTHOUGH GABAPENTIN PRESCRIPTION HAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED IN OLDER ADULTS, OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GABAPENTIN USE IN THIS POPULATION IS LIMITED. DUE TO GABAPENTIN'S KNOWN BINDING SITE, ALPHA-2-DELTA-1, WHICH HAS A RELATIONSHIP WITH CALCIUM CHANNEL, NMDA RECEPTOR, AND THROMBOSPONDIN, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT GABAPENTIN COULD AFFECT OLDER ADULTS' COGNITION AND MOTOR FUNCTIONS. TO FILL IN THE RESEARCH GAP, THIS STUDY PROPOSES TO ASSESS LONGITUDINAL PATTERNS OF GABAPENTIN USE IN OLDER ADULTS AND TO ESTIMATE THE RISK OF HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH GABAPENTIN PRESCRIPTIONS USING MEDICARE CLAIMS DATA AND LINKED RUSH ALZHEIMER DISEASE CENTER-MEDICARE DATA. AIM 1 WILL DETERMINE THE DISTINCT PATTERNS (E.G., DURATION OF USE, CONCURRENT MEDICATIONS, HISTORY OF MEDICATION PRIOR TO GABAPENTIN INITIATION) OF GABAPENTIN USE AND EXAMINE THE FACTORS, INCLUDING DEMOGRAPHICS AND MEDICAL HISTORY, ASSOCIATED WITH EACH PATTERN. THIS AIM WILL PROVIDE CLINICALLY RELEVANT CHARACTERISTICS OF GABAPENTIN USERS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE. AIM 2 WILL EXAMINE THE ASSOCIATION OF GABAPENTIN USE WITH HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES, INCLUDING FALLS, FRACTURES, NEUROCOGNITIVE CHANGES, HOSPITALIZATIONS, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS, AND MORTALITY. THESE ASSOCIATIONS WILL BE ESTIMATED MARGINAL STRUCTURAL MODELS BY CO