Chronic pain is a big problem worldwide, making it hard for many people to live their everyday lives. It’s like having a terrible toothache that just won’t go away.
This type of pain is often due to damage to our nervous system, which includes our brain and nerves.
In some people, like those who’ve had a stroke or lost a limb, their pain seems to come directly from their brain. This kind of pain doesn’t respond well to current treatments and can make life really difficult.
The Revolutionary Experiment
Researchers have now found a new way to understand and potentially treat chronic pain. They used a device to directly record brain activity in people with chronic pain.
This was done while the patients were at home over several months.
The recorded data was then analyzed using something called machine learning, which is a type of artificial intelligence that allows computers to learn from and make decisions based on data.
This is the first time such research has been done. It’s like opening a new door into the brain, revealing how it handles chronic pain.
The researchers found an area of the brain linked to chronic pain and were able to identify specific brain patterns in individual patients.
Why is This Research Important?
This research is a big deal because chronic pain is a major health problem. Dr. Walter Koroshetz, a leader in the field of neurological disorders, says these early findings could lead to new ways to treat pain that aren’t addictive.
Understanding Pain in the Brain
Traditionally, scientists collect information about chronic pain by asking people living with it about their experiences. For example, they might ask how intense the pain is or how it impacts their emotions.
However, in this study, researchers looked at how the brain’s activity changes when people are experiencing pain.
Dr. Prasad Shirvalkar, the lead scientist, said they were particularly interested in two parts of the brain—the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). These areas are thought to play a role in pain response.
How Was the Experiment Done?
Four participants, three with pain from a stroke and one with pain from a lost limb had electrodes surgically placed in their ACC and OFC. These electrodes allowed the researchers to record brain activity.
Several times a day, the participants answered questions about their pain and then initiated a brain recording. Using machine learning, scientists could predict a person’s pain level based on the activity in their OFC.
The researchers also looked at how the ACC and OFC responded to temporary pain, like when you touch something hot.
Again, they found that brain activity could predict pain responses, but this time it was mostly the ACC involved.
What’s Next for Pain Research?
This study is a big first step in understanding how our brain processes pain.
By identifying specific pain-related patterns in the brain, we might be able to develop new treatments that can change these patterns to relieve chronic pain.
Currently, researchers are using this information to try to use deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat chronic pain.
DBS has already been successful in treating some brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease and major depression.
For these conditions, specific brain patterns have been identified, but for chronic pain, this research is still in the early stages.
The ultimate goal of these efforts is to find non-addictive treatments for chronic pain and reduce the use of opioids, which can be addictive and dangerous.
By identifying pain-specific brain patterns, we can better personalize pain management for each individual, leading to the development of new technologies to understand and control our brain’s response to pain.
If you care about pain, please read studies that vegetarian women have higher risk of hip fracture, and these vitamins could help reduce bone fracture risk.
For more information about wellness, please see recent studies that Krill oil could improve muscle health in older people, and the study shows the most effective drugs for common neuropathic pain.
The study was published in Nature Neuroscience.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
