Advances and challenges in neuroimaging-based pain biomarkers

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pain Research
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Identifying neural biomarkers for pain is crucial in pain neuroscience.
• Existing research focuses on brain-based markers for acute and chronic pain conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review state-of-the-art candidate neural biomarkers for pain.
• To classify these biomarkers into five distinct categories.
• To discuss challenges and future directions in pain biomarker development.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized review of neuroimaging techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), and electroencephalography (EEG).
• Classification of candidate biomarkers based on target variables: within-individual perception, between-individual sensitivity, discriminability for acute pain, and assessment/prospective markers for chronic pain.

Main Results:

• Five categories of neural pain biomarkers were identified: within-individual perception, between-individual sensitivity, discriminability for acute pain, assessment for chronic pain, and prospective biomarkers for chronic pain.
• Candidate biomarkers were reviewed across fMRI, sMRI, and EEG modalities.

Conclusions:

• Developing optimal neural biomarkers for pain requires addressing conceptual and practical challenges.
• Advancements in neural pain biomarkers can enhance understanding of brain-pain interactions.
• Improved biomarkers hold potential for alleviating patient suffering and improving well-being.