Chronic pain reorganizes brain

Posted by ghgeorge
March 17, 2009

Northwestern University has finished a study that shows brains involved with chronic pain are more likely to have depression and other cognitive declines. Cognitive and emotional functions appear to be negatively affected by chronic pain creating an atrophy in cells that are repeatedly forced to send pain comands over and over. This is the first time that a study showed that brains can be changed by chronic pain and that over time they can lose cognitive capabilities that are normally handled by the front of the brain. Addition studies are slated over the next year, but the prognosis for those suffering with chronic pain does not look good. The greater the pain and time, the more difficult it was for brains to lean activieies and to memorize things. It is almost as though the pain is putting up roadblocks for the brain to properly deal with situations where the individual is trying to learn a new skill or remeber something from far back.

Hopefully this research will point to new drugs that can be used to combat these problems. THe report noted that the work done was on rats that do not have an exact 1:1 relationship to all activities of the human brain and that studies of people need to be done. But it makes sense that chronic pain can easily pull your concentration away fro m an actvity to the point ot the pain over anything else. Plus, when in extreme pain, it can be difficult or impossible to remember something in particular because the pain is keeping you from using all the parts of your brain to remember. The best thing to do is to keep your pain down to manageable amounts and to always take your pain medication when required. If the pain is more then your regular medication can handle, it is important to take your break through pain drug. The longer you wait the worse the pain will be and the loner it waill take for the medication to take effect. There are no special awards given to those that wait until it is too late before taking their break through medication. When you know you need the medication, take it so you will not suffer.

Medical

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