Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026
10:39
3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
Structural brain changes in chronic pain reflect probably neither damage nor atrophy
Rea Rodriguez-Raecke1, Andreas Niemeier, Kristin Ihle
1Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Plos One
|February 14, 2013
Summary
Chronic pain causes brain gray matter reduction, but this is reversible. Pain relief from hip osteoarthritis surgery restored gray matter, indicating changes are secondary to pain and motor function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Orthopedics
- Pain Management
Background:
- Chronic pain is linked to brain gray matter reduction in pain-processing areas.
- The underlying mechanisms of these structural brain changes are not fully understood.
- Hip osteoarthritis pain is a treatable chronic pain condition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain structural changes in patients with chronic hip osteoarthritis pain.
- To monitor gray matter changes before and up to one year after hip replacement surgery.
- To determine if observed gray matter changes are reversible upon pain resolution.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 20 patients with unilateral coxarthrosis undergoing hip replacement.
- Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed pre-surgery and at multiple time points post-surgery.
- Gray matter volume was compared between patients and controls and tracked over time after pain relief.
Main Results:
- Patients with chronic hip pain showed reduced gray matter in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insular cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and orbitofrontal cortex compared to controls.
- Following successful hip replacement surgery and pain resolution, gray matter volume increased in these same brain regions.
- Progressive gray matter increases were observed in the premotor cortex and supplementary motor area (SMA) after surgery.
Conclusions:
- Gray matter abnormalities in chronic pain are secondary to the disease, not causative.
- Pain relief leads to a reversal of structural brain changes in pain-processing areas.
- Changes in motor function and bodily integration likely contribute to gray matter alterations in chronic pain.
More Related Videos
04:54Modified Mouse Model of Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Incorporating Thinned-Skull Window and Fluid Percussion
Published on: April 19, 2024
08:27Development of an Uncomplicated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Model Modified by Weight-Drop Method and Evidenced by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: April 11, 2025
Related Concept Videos
01:44Nociception
Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain. Thus, pain helps the...
01:20Pain
Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
01:12Chronic Inflammation: Introduction
Chronic inflammation is a prolonged, dysregulated immune response that persists for weeks to years when the inciting stimulus is difficult to eradicate or when self‑antigens drive ongoing reactivity. Morphologically, it is defined by mononuclear cell infiltration, progressive tissue destruction, and concurrent attempts at healing via angiogenesis and fibrosis. Compared with acute inflammation, edema is less prominent while cellular infiltration predominates; triggers include persistent...
01:01Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.
01:24Chronic Pancreatitis I: Introduction
The pancreas, an elongated and flat gland situated behind the stomach, serves a vital function in digesting food and managing blood sugar levels.
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, which occurs when the immune system becomes active and causes swelling, pain, and disruptions in organ function. Pancreatitis can manifest as either an acute or chronic condition.
Acute pancreatitis arises suddenly and lasts for a brief duration, while chronic pancreatitis is a long-term affliction...
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, which occurs when the immune system becomes active and causes swelling, pain, and disruptions in organ function. Pancreatitis can manifest as either an acute or chronic condition.
Acute pancreatitis arises suddenly and lasts for a brief duration, while chronic pancreatitis is a long-term affliction...
01:23Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...