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Breakthrough: Brain Scan Images of Physical Pain

Gemini

Senior Member
Messages
1,176
Location
East Coast USA

Enid

Senior Member
Messages
3,309
Location
UK
Interesting Gemini - I'm still longing to know what the "high intensity" spots on my own MRI brain scan are ten years on. Awful state then barely walking or speaking/thinking - this is a very important area of research.
 

Simon

Senior Member
Messages
3,789
Location
Monmouth, UK
Functional MRI detects images of physical pain in the brain... recent study cited at yesterdays FDA meeting by CDCs Dr. Unger as possibly useful in ME/CFS in the future as this exciting science develops.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112821042/brain-helps-measure-pain-041113/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23574118

Perhaps the neurologic nature of ME/CFS pain could be characterized by fMRI images & better treatments developed...
Thanks - I read the transcript of her talk but didn't see this ref - on a slide?

fMRI comes of age?
But what an amazing study, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the world's most prestigious medical journal. Across 4 studies they racked up 114 patients, which is very large by fMRI standards (and a good thing, as small fMRI studies are notorious for throwing up false positives)

[from redorbit] Wagner and his colleagues said that prior to the study, they expected to see a unique pain signature, or neurological pattern, for each individual. Instead, what they found was a signature that was highly similar among different subjects. This provided a baseline which allowed them to calculate how much pain a person was experiencing from a heat stimulus, with between 90 and 100 percent accuracy, without referring to prior brain scans of the individual.
Crucially, having established a signature in one group of patients, they could use that signature to accurately predict pain in different subjects. They also found that using painkillers not only dulled the pain but reduced the brain signal too, adding evidence that the brain signal is measuring something meaningful.

Would be great if a similar approach could be used in CFS research.
 

Gemini

Senior Member
Messages
1,176
Location
East Coast USA
Interesting Gemini - I'm still longing to know what the "high intensity" spots on my own MRI brain scan are ten years on. Awful state then barely walking or speaking/thinking - this is a very important area of research.

Enid,

You're so right, important area, need much more research from neurologists using newest imaging technologies...
 

Gemini

Senior Member
Messages
1,176
Location
East Coast USA
Thanks - I read the transcript of her talk but didn't see this ref - on a slide?

fMRI comes of age?
But what an amazing study, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the world's most prestigious medical journal. Across 4 studies they racked up 114 patients, which is very large by fMRI standards (and a good thing, as small fMRI studies are notorious for throwing up false positives)


Crucially, having established a signature in one group of patients, they could use that signature to accurately predict pain in different subjects. They also found that using painkillers not only dulled the pain but reduced the brain signal too, adding evidence that the brain signal is measuring something meaningful.

Would be great if a similar approach could be used in CFS research.

Simon,

Dr. Unger referenced this NEJM study while she was on the panel during the discussion period. She seemed enthusiatic about its future possibilities in ME/CFS...

ME/CFS applications of the findings & technology would be great!
 

Gemini

Senior Member
Messages
1,176
Location
East Coast USA
Crucially, having established a signature in one group of patients, they could use that signature to accurately predict pain in different subjects. They also found that using painkillers not only dulled the pain but reduced the brain signal too, adding evidence that the brain signal is measuring something meaningful.

Simon,

You're so right! These researchers have not only discovered a way to measure(calibrate) the intensity of physical pain but excitingly watch treatments change it.

fMRI technology could address the central sensitization hypothesized in ME/CFS pain.

How can patients become part of future fMRI research studies I guess is my question?
 

Simon

Senior Member
Messages
3,789
Location
Monmouth, UK
fMRI technology could address the central sensitization hypothesized in ME/CFS pain.

How can patients become part of future fMRI research studies I guess is my question?
Interesting idea re pain sensitisation in CFS, and ultimately the wider sensitisation in CFS that is hypothesised too.

Think more work is needed to confirm the pain findings (as the authors noted) before applying to CFS. Then, we need lots of money! FMRI is vey expensive, but i think like most technology is getting cheaper (slowly), which will help the affordability of larger, more robust samples.
 

Enid

Senior Member
Messages
3,309
Location
UK
Whilst I think this is a vital part of research and whilst my own brain MRI revealed "high intense" spots we are dealing with much more than "pain" - just about everything to do with autonomic functioning went "haywire". Just what is/was happening in the brain stem ? Perhaps this will move understanding forward hopefully whilst we seek relief from black holes, GI, cardiac and other dysfunctions.