Sugimine Satomi, Ogino Yuichi, Kawamichi Hiroaki, Obata Hideaki, Saito Shigeru
Department of Anesthesiology, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
Department of Anesthesiology, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
Mol Pain. 2016 Jun 8;12. doi: 10.1177/1744806916652408. Print 2016.
Neuropathic characteristics are highly involved in the development of chronic pain both physically and psychologically. However, little is known about the relationship between neuropathic characteristics and brain morphological alteration.
The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms of chronic pain development by examining the above-mentioned relationships by voxel-based morphometry in patients with chronic pain.
First, we assessed neuropathic characteristics using the painDETECT Questionnaire in 12 chronic pain patients. Second, to assess the gray matter volume changes by voxel-based morphometry, we conducted magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. We applied multiregression analysis of these two assessment methods.
There were significant positive correlations between painDETECT Questionnaire scores and the gray matter volume in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex and right posterior cingulate cortex.
Our findings suggest that neuropathic characteristics strongly affect the brain regions related to modulation of pain in patients with chronic pain and, therefore, contribute to the severity of chronic pain.
神经病理性特征在慢性疼痛的生理和心理发展过程中均高度相关。然而，关于神经病理性特征与脑形态改变之间的关系却知之甚少。
本研究旨在通过基于体素的形态学测量法，在慢性疼痛患者中研究上述关系，以探究慢性疼痛发展的机制。
首先，我们使用疼痛DETECT问卷对12名慢性疼痛患者的神经病理性特征进行评估。其次，为通过基于体素的形态学测量法评估灰质体积变化，我们对大脑进行了磁共振成像检查。我们对这两种评估方法进行了多元回归分析。
疼痛DETECT问卷得分与双侧前扣带回皮质及右侧后扣带回皮质的灰质体积之间存在显著正相关。
我们的研究结果表明，神经病理性特征强烈影响慢性疼痛患者中与疼痛调节相关的脑区，因此，促成了慢性疼痛的严重程度。
