Key result
Spinal cord injury patients with neuropathic pain exhibited increased task-based activation and resting-state functional connectivity in the insula, prefrontal, and medial inferior parietal cortices compared to controls without neuropathic pain.
Why the study?
Neuropathic pain affects roughly 80% of spinal cord injury patients, treatments are largely ineffective, and the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms remain poorly understood.
Are there differences in functional brain activation and connectivity between spinal cord injury patients with and without chronic neuropathic pain?
Population
SCI patients with chronic NP and SCI patients without NP
Comparison
SCI patients with chronic NP vs SCI patients without NP
Design
Exploratory pilot study
Authors
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Does not support clinical use of these fMRI markers; leaves open insula-prefrontal connectivity in post-SCI neuropathic pain.
Cross-Sectional (n=36)
No
Are there differences in functional brain activation and connectivity between spinal cord injury patients with and without chronic neuropathic pain?
p-value: p=<0.0005
A pilot fMRI study identified regions of increased task-based activation and functional connectivity associated with neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury, though differences were not statistically significant after multiple comparison correction.
Black et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional in Neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury (n=36). Neuropathic pain vs. Spinal cord injury without neuropathic pain was evaluated on Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activation differences during a somatosensory focus task and resting-state functional connectivity (p=<0.0005). Spinal cord injury patients with neuropathic pain exhibited increased task-based activation and resting-state functional connectivity in the insula, prefrontal, and medial inferior parietal cortices compared to controls without neuropathic pain.
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