Key result
Subacute and chronic back pain were associated with smaller nucleus accumbens volume and loss of resting-state activity power in the slow-5 frequency band (0.01 to 0.027 Hz).
Why the study?
Chronic pain has poorly understood pathophysiology, and the brain mechanisms mediating the transition from acute to chronic pain remain largely unknown.
Observational
Yes
Lower nucleus accumbens volume confers risk for developing chronic pain, and altered low-frequency activity in this region is a signature of the chronic pain state.
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NAcc volume loss may flag chronic pain risk in back pain patients; hypothesis-generating for neuroimaging biomarkers, pending prospective validation.
Makary et al. (2020) conducted an observational in Chronic back pain. Subacute and chronic back pain vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Nucleus accumbens volume and low-frequency fluctuations. Subacute and chronic back pain were associated with smaller nucleus accumbens volume and loss of resting-state activity power in the slow-5 frequency band (0.01 to 0.027 Hz).