Scientists Unlock Chronic Pain Brain Connection

Chronic pain affects a significant portion of the population, with about one in five adults in the United States experiencing it. Objective measurement and treatment of chronic pain have been challenging, relying mainly on self-reported pain scales. However, a team of scientists has made a breakthrough by using brain signals to objectively measure chronic pain. The researchers implanted electrodes in the brains of four volunteers suffering from phantom limb pain or post-stroke pain.

By recording brain activity in specific regions associated with pain responses, the team developed machine learning models that could predict pain levels based on the brain signals. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, provides an objective measure of chronic pain and opens the possibility of personalized therapies such as intercepting pain signals using electrodes. The research is still in its early stages, with data collected from a small number of participants, but it offers promising avenues for future treatment and understanding of chronic pain.