Topic: Research News

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder found a specific brain circuit that can turn temporary pain into chronic pain. Shutting down this circuit can prevent or stop chronic pain.

New research has identified a crucial brain pathway that determines whether short-term pain becomes long-lasting and debilitating. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, focused on a region called the caudal granular insular cortex (CGIC). This small area is located deep within the insula, a part of the brain involved in processing sensations.

The researchers found that shutting down this circuit can both prevent chronic pain from developing and stop it after it has already begun. According to senior author Linda Watkins, distinguished professor of behavioral neuroscience,

Implications

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder found a specific brain circuit that can turn temporary pain into chronic pain. Shutting down this circuit can prevent or stop chronic pain.