Baffling Chronic Pain Linked to Rewiring of Brain

[devance]

Not as baffling as it seems.

http://www.physorg.com/news146922947.html

'As one can see the 'The orange path shows the location of gray matter atrophy and damaged wiring in the anterior cingulate; blue shows damage in the insula; green in the medial prefrontal cortex.'

,

'The new findings provide anatomical targets for scientists, who can now look for potential pharmaceutical treatments to help these patients, Apkarian said. He doesn't know yet if chronic pain causes these changes in the brain or if CRPS patients' brains have pre-existing abnormalities that predispose them to this condition.

In the new study, the brains of 22 subjects with CRPS and 22 normal subjects were examined with an anatomical MRI and a diffusion tensor MRI, which enabled scientists to view the white matter. In addition to changes in white matter, the CRPS patients' brains showed an atrophy of neurons or gray matter similar to what has been previously shown in other types of chronic pain patients.

Apkarian said the white matter changes in patients' brains is related to the duration and intensity of their pain and their anxiety. It is likely that white matter reorganizes in other chronic pain conditions as well, but that has not yet been studied, he noted. '

''The new findings provide anatomical targets for scientists, who can now look for potential pharmaceutical treatments to help these patients, Apkarian said. He doesn't know yet if chronic pain causes these changes in the brain or if CRPS patients' brains have pre-existing abnormalities that predispose them to this condition.

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Good luck with Dr. brain nonsurgey..

'pkarian said the white matter changes in patients' brains is related to the duration and intensity of their pain and their anxiety. It is likely that white matter reorganizes in other chronic pain conditions as well, but that has not yet been studied, he noted. ''

Better buy some pharmacuetical share in the start up company.

If he can't recommend any drugs, then the little research in the mysterious art of brain surgery will sooth the economic nerves of a stock investor.

[devance]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medulla_oblongata

Apparently the 'Medulla oblongata'

hasn't been considered for electrostimulation of endorphins.

Heroin, guess why the brain can recognize heroin.

A simililar[ like a endorphin] but longer acting chemical, like all synthetics.

[Zen Peddler]

not quite on topic - but i remember reading one study where they found that suicide victims have higher methylation rates of genes in their brain matter than normal people.