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Scientists Discover Brain Circuit That Can Stop Chronic Pain

Mayur Tembhare
  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

Scientists Discover Brain Circuit That Can Stop Chronic Pain

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.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260426012317.htm

Journal reference:

  1. Jayson B. Ball, Maggie R. Finch, Jeremy A. Taylor, Zachariah Z. Smith, Igor Rafael Correia Rocha, Suzanne M. Green-Fulgham, Ethan B. Rowe, Joseph M. Dragavon, Connor J. McNulty, Renee A. Dreher, Imaad I. Siddique, Gavin Davis, Andrew M. Tan, Michael V. Baratta, Daniel S. Barth, Linda R. Watkins. Caudal Granular Insular Cortex to Somatosensory Cortex I: A Critical Pathway for the Transition of Acute to Chronic Pain. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2026; 46 (5): e1306252025 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1306-25.2025

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