Individuals who suffer from chronic pain experience major changes to the structure of their brain.
A new study examined 30 individuals with chronic pain using an MRI machine and compared their brain patterns to 30 normal, pain-free controls. The researchers found crucial alterations in areas such as the middle and inferior frontal gyrus, corpus callosum, corona radiata, precentral gyrus, external capsule, and posterior thalamic radiation. Furthermore, a correlation was found between the white matter integrity and the degree of pain that subjects were experiencing.
Conclusions
This study shows how individuals with “central sensitization” can experience long-lasting problems that negatively alter the way their body processes pain.
References