May 23, 2023 – Using surgical implants within the brain, scientists have recorded for the primary time electrical patterns that occur when an individual experiences chronic pain. a new study In Natural Neuroscience closes.
The researchers used the devices on 4 patients who had been affected by countless nerve pain for over a 12 months. The devices recorded several times a day, which “could pave the way for implanted devices that can one day predict or even short-circuit pain signals,” The New York Times reported.
The study states that the pain was “related to electrical fluctuations in the orbitofrontal cortex, an area involved in emotion regulation, self-evaluation and decision-making.” The times reported. “The research suggests that such patterns of brain activity could serve as biomarkers to guide the diagnosis and treatment of millions of people with stabbing or burning chronic pain associated with a damaged nervous system.”
Ajay Wasan, MD, a pain specialist on the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who was not involved within the study, praised it to the Times.
“The study advances a whole generation of research that has shown that the way the brain works is really important for processing and perceiving pain,” he said.
Chronic pain is defined as persistent or recurring pain that lasts longer than three months. The CDC says about 20% of Americans experience it. It is linked to depression, Alzheimer's and other dementias, suicide, and substance abuse.
However, the authors of the study indicate: “Pain intensity is often measured by subjective data, while objective biomarkers that could serve as a guide for diagnosis and treatment are lacking.”