McQuinn, Sophie; Love, Tiffany (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Love, Tiffany (University of Utah, Psychiatry)
Chronic pain is a major health crisis, and is considered the second major cause of disability in the world. People with chronic pain that lasts 6 months or longer often experience other symptoms as well, including depression. While the causes of chronic pain are often unknown, it has been shown that people with chronic pain exhibit brain structure differences compared to those who do not. It is important to know how chronic pain and brain structure are interconnected so that we can find a better way to treat patients. Gaining more knowledge of this connection can lead to a better understanding of the underlying causes. Brain structure goes hand in hand with neuroplasticity, which plays a key role in normal brain development. While it has been shown that chronic pain can have a significant effect on brain structure, it is unknown whether different symptoms affect different areas of the brain. The effects of chronic pain on the brain have only been looked at in a holistic sense and have not been quantified according to symptoms. Because chronic pain can have a variety of causes, this makes it difficult to determine a good method of treatment for individuals. Our aim was to determine how different symptoms of chronic pain affect the brain individually and evaluate possible overlap. The categories we tested were sensory, affective, unpleasantness, intensity, and depression. We used MRI scans from both healthy individuals and participants experiencing chronic lower back pain. The relative levels of each symptom that the participants were experiencing were determined via the McGill Pain Questionnaire and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Having a better understanding of how different symptoms of chronic pain affect the brain can aid in finding more personalized treatment for those experiencing it.