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Abnormal gray matter aging in chronic pain patients.
Massieh Moayedi1, Irit Weissman-Fogel, Tim V Salomons
1Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Canada.
Brain Research
|April 17, 2012
Summary
Chronic pain from temporomandibular disorder (TMD) accelerates brain gray matter (GM) aging, particularly in pain and motor regions. This accelerated GM atrophy suggests a significant impact of chronic pain on brain aging processes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Aging Research
- Pain Medicine
Background:
- Brain gray matter (GM) atrophy is a normal aspect of aging.
- Age-related GM changes can differ based on health status.
- Chronic pain conditions may influence brain structure during aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if chronic pain in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is linked to abnormal GM aging in specific brain regions.
- To assess how cumulative pain effects contribute to age-related GM changes in TMD patients.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of brain gray matter volume in TMD patients versus pain-free controls.
- Identification of focal cortical regions associated with nociceptive and motor processes.
- Statistical modeling to account for age and TMD duration effects on GM volume.
Main Results:
- TMD patients exhibited accelerated whole-brain GM atrophy compared to controls.
- Aberrant GM aging patterns were observed in the thalamus, anterior mid- and pregenual cingulate cortex (aMCC/pgACC), dorsal striatum, and premotor cortex (PMC).
- Age remained a significant predictor of GM in the PMC and dorsal striatum, even after controlling for TMD duration.
Conclusions:
- Chronic pain in TMD is associated with abnormal gray matter aging in pain-processing and motor-related brain regions.
- These findings suggest that TMD-related factors and inherent factors in motor regions contribute to abnormal brain aging.
- This study provides novel evidence linking chronic pain to accelerated and region-specific GM aging.
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