This study demonstrates that individuals with mild, unmedicated chronic low back pain show increased grey matter density in frontal and temporal regions and a robust inverse association between pain severity and parietal grey matter. By identifying the right inferior parietal lobule as a neural marker linked to symptom intensity, these findings refine our understanding of pain-related brain plasticity, highlight structural correlates present even in less severe clinical populations, and suggest novel targets for early intervention strategies in chronic pain.
Sean et al. (Wed,) studied this question.