What new discovery was made about chronic pain?

Researchers identified a specific brain pathway, connecting the CGIC to the somatosensory cortex, that may dictate whether pain becomes chronic.

How does the identified brain pathway contribute to chronic pain?

The CGIC pathway signals the spinal cord to maintain chronic pain, preventing it from dissipating.

What are the potential implications of this chronic pain research?

The findings may lead to the development of new medications that target the CGIC pathway to eliminate chronic pain.

Home / Science / Scientists Find 'On Switch' for Chronic Pain

Scientists Find 'On Switch' for Chronic Pain

29 Jan

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Summary

A specific brain pathway may dictate if pain becomes chronic.
Researchers identified a connection between two brain regions.
Targeting this pathway reduced pain and nerve sensitivity in mice.

Scientists Find 'On Switch' for Chronic Pain

Scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder have pinpointed a critical brain pathway involved in the persistence of chronic pain. The research focused on the connection between the caudal granular insular cortex (CGIC) and the primary somatosensory cortex, identifying how acute pain might transition into a long-term condition.

Through studies using mice with sciatic nerve injuries, researchers observed that the CGIC plays a significant role in signaling the spinal cord to maintain chronic pain, unlike its limited involvement in acute pain. When this pathway was inhibited, the mice experienced reduced pain and a decrease in allodynia, where touch becomes painful.

These findings, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, suggest that this CGIC pathway acts as a crucial decision-maker for pain chronicity. Silencing it prevented chronic pain from developing, and in ongoing cases, it led to pain dissipation. Further research is needed to confirm these results in humans, but the discovery opens avenues for developing targeted medications to eliminate chronic pain.