First evidence of neuroinflammation in brains of chronic pain patients

Images created by averaging PET scan data from chronic pain patients (left) and healthy controls (right) reveals higher levels of inflammation-associated translocator protein (orange/red) in the thalamus and other brain regions of chronic pain patients

Scientists have found evidence of neuroinflammation in key regions of the brains of people with chronic pain, they report in Brain. The findings could pave the way for new treatment strategies and may lead to a way of measuring the presence and intensity of pain.

A total of 10 people with chronic lower back pain were compared with nine healthy people who were carefully matched for age, sex and genetic characteristics. Their brains were scanned.
Levels of a particular protein were found to be significantly higher in the brains of people with chronic back pain. The difference was so marked that the scientists could spot which were the patients and which were the controls just by looking at the individual images before analysis of the data.

Click here to read the original research.

Subscribe to Arthritis Digest, the UK’s fastest growing arthritis magazine for all the latest arthritis news, reviews and celebrity interviews. You’ll know what your doctor is talking about, what new drugs are in the pipeline and be up to date on helpful products. Hard copy and digital versions both available. Click here for more information.