Chronic pain = less gray matter in brain

In the new study, Apkarian's team continued to study the brains of people with chronic pain, in this case 10 people with chronic back pain. The researchers measured gray matter in the brains of people with chronic back pain and compared them to a group of 20 people who did not have chronic pain.

The measurements revealed that people with chronic pain had less gray matter -- overall and in a part of the brain called the thalamus. Not only was there less gray matter in terms of volume in pain sufferers, but the tissue was also less dense, Apkarian said.

The changes in people with chronic pain, Apkarian told Reuters Health in an interview, were particularly noticeable in parts of the gray matter that are known to be important in making "emotional assessments," including decision making and control of everyday social behavior.

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I saw this reported on the tv news last night. I'm glad I don't suffer from chronic pain.

This is a good artical. And when you think about it, makes alot of sense. I had a wisdom tooth extracted last Christmas and for a week all I could think about was the pain. I could'nt function. After the infection was gone as well as the tooth, my mind returned to normal.

Pain can keep you from work, sleep, and most normal activities. And while your thoughts are fixed on pain your mind is not active as it should be in a normal day. Bet this could also be associated with some cases of memory loss, add, ect...
That would mean that some folks that lose all memory or most of it at an older age could be from this key factor??? Just a though. But sounds like a possibility.