Brain Signals Underlying Chronic Pain Could Be ‘Short-Circuited,’ Study Suggests
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Scientists uncovered a “biomarker” for chronic pain in the brains of four patients and are using the data to develop a new brain stimulation therapy.
This X-ray image of one of the study participants shows where recording electrodes (red patches) were implanted into the brain. These implants were used to see how the participant’s brain activity changed as the severity of their chronic pain shifted through time. (Image credit: Prasad Shirvalkar)
People with chronic pain are often asked to rate their discomfort on a crude 10-point scale. Now, in a first-of-its-kind study, scientists have shown that the fluctuations in pain severity that patients report can be tied to distinct patterns of activity in their brains.
