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Author Spotlight: Methodologies and Advancements of Chronic Pain Management Research
Published on: January 5, 2024
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Similarities and Differences in Resting-State Brain Activity Changes of Distinct Chronic Pain Types
Xiaofei Chen1, Ruoyu Tang2,3, Yihan Jin1,2
1Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China.
Oral Diseases
|February 4, 2025
Summary
Visceral and somatic pain share brain activity patterns, particularly in affective regions. These neural similarities may serve as biomarkers for pain disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and temporomandibular disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
- Pain Research
Background:
- Chronic pain conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and temporomandibular disorder (TMD) significantly impact quality of life.
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of visceral (IBS) and somatic (TMD) pain is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural similarities and differences in spontaneous brain activity between patients with chronic visceral pain (IBS) and somatic pain (TMD).
- To compare brain activity patterns in IBS patients, TMD patients, and healthy controls (HC) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Main Methods:
- Resting-state fMRI was performed on 28 IBS patients, 21 TMD patients, and 28 HC.
- Analysis included amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and functional connectivity (FC).
- Correlations between fMRI metrics and clinical manifestations were examined.
Main Results:
- Both IBS and TMD patients showed increased ALFF and ReHo in several brain regions compared to HC, including the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) and insula.
- TMD patients exhibited distinct patterns of ALFF and ReHo in the medial superior frontal gyrus (SFGmed) and lingual gyrus compared to IBS patients.
- Both groups displayed enhanced FC in the PHG and insula-related networks, with IBS patients showing higher FC between PHG and orbitofrontal cortex, correlated with mood and gastrointestinal symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Shared abnormalities in brain networks highlight common neural mechanisms underlying visceral and somatic chronic pain.
- Altered activity in affective brain regions may represent potential neuroimaging markers for pain disorders.
- Depression severity in somatic pain is linked to pain intensity, while in visceral pain, it relates to gastrointestinal symptoms.
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