Effective Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain in Humans Reverses Abnormal Brain Anatomy and Function

Chronic pain is associated with reduced brain gray matter and impaired cognitive ability. In this longitudinal study, we assessed whether neuroanatomical and functional abnormalities were reversible and dependent on treatment outcomes. We acquired MRI scans from chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients before (n = 18) and 6 months after (spine surgery or facet joint injections; n = 14) treatment. In addition, we scanned 16 healthy controls, 10 of which returned 6 months after the first visit. We performed cortical thickness analysis on structural MRI scans, and subjects performed a cognitive task during the functional MRI. We compared patients and controls, as well as patients before versus after treatment. After…

• A
  AstraZeneca
• IA
  International Association for the Study of Pain
• PF
  Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada
• LA
  Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation
• CI
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research

  Award: MFE-84987