The journal Pain has published an article that discusses whether chronic pain changes the structure of the brain.

Dr Arne May from the Department of Systems Neuroscience, at the University of Hamburg Eppendorf, Germany describes how changes to the structure of the brain in areas relating to pain transmission have recently been found in patients suffering from phantom pain, chronic back pain, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia and two types of frequent headaches. Although the changes found were different in each group of patients, they apparently overlapped in regions of the brain - the cingulate cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex, the insula and dorsal pons - that work together during the experience and the anticipation of pain.

Dr May says:

“As it seems that chronic pain patients have a common “brain signature” in areas known to be involved in pain regulation, the question arises whether these changes are the cause or the consequence of chronic pain.”

He goes on to suggest that the changes in brain structure seen in chronic pain patients are the result of frequent painful stimuli and should be reversed if the pain is adequately treated.

Reference: May A. Chronic pain may change the structure of the brain. Pain. 2008 Apr 12 [Epub ahead of print]