Brain signals linked to chronic pain identified for the first time
Scientists have directly identified some of the brain signals involved in chronic pain for the first time, in a finding they hope could help with treating the condition.
The research, which involved intensive monitoring of four sufferers, also showed that chronic pain seemed to have its own distinct neural signature.
“Chronic pain is not just a more enduring version of acute pain. It’s actually fundamentally different in the brain with different circuits,” said Prasad Shirvalkar, from the University of California San Francisco.
Chronic pain is defined as persistent pain that lasts for months. Often it is not associated with a clear cause. Estimates of its prevalence vary but according to some UK surveys are as high as one in three people, making it a significant
