ABOUT THE STUDY
Many people experience chronic pain, an ongoing and often debilitating condition that can last for months to years. This persistent pain can affect many parts of a person’s life. Y Almost half of people with chronic pain also experience significant anxiety and depression disorders.
Now, a new study led by UNSW Sydney and NeuRA shows that people with chronic pain have a neurotransmitter imbalance. This, in the part of the brain responsible for regulating emotions.
EMOTIONS: could be triggering the chemical alteration
This imbalance could make it difficult to control negative emotions. And the researchers believe that persistent pain could be triggering the chemical alteration.
* The findings were published today in the journal European Journal of Pain.
What the experts say
“Chronic pain is more than just a terrible feeling,” says the study’s lead author. Associate Professor Sylvia Gustin, a neuroscientist and psychologist at UNSW and NeuRA. “It can affect our feelings, beliefs and the way we are.
“We have discovered, for the first time, that ongoing pain is associated with a decrease in GABA. An inhibitory neurotransmitter in the medial prefrontal cortex. In other words, a real pathological change is taking place ”.
Your role in the individual
Neurotransmitters They help communicate and balance messages between cells. While some amplify signals (called excitatory neurotransmitters), others weaken them (inhibitory neurotransmitters).
GABA, or γ-aminobutyric acid, It is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Its function in the middle prefrontal cortex. The part of the brain where emotional regulation occurs is to help control our emotions.
How was the process?
The research team used advanced neurological imaging to scan the GABA content in the medial prefrontal cortex of 48 study participants. Half of whom experienced some form of chronic pain. A / Prof. Gustin says that this relatively small sample size is typical of neurological imaging studies, which are expensive to run.
The results show that the participants with chronic pain had significantly lower levels of GABA than the control group. A pattern that was consistent regardless of her chronic pain type.
FIRST STUDY IN HUMANS
“A decrease in GABA means that brain cells can no longer communicate with each other properly,” says A / Prof. Gustin.
“When there is a decrease in this neurotransmitter, our actions, emotions and thoughts are amplified.”
While the link between chronic pain and decreased GABA levels has previously been found in animal studies. This is the first time it has been translated into human studies.
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