Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2009 Nov;10(11):1113-20.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2009.09.001.

How neuroimaging studies have challenged us to rethink: is chronic pain a disease?

Irene Tracey  1 , M Catherine Bushnell
Affiliations
Free article
Review

How neuroimaging studies have challenged us to rethink: is chronic pain a disease?

Irene Tracey et al. J Pain. 2009 Nov.
Free article

Abstract

In this review, we present data from functional, structural, and molecular imaging studies in patients and animals supporting the notion that it might be time to reconsider chronic pain as a disease. Across a range of chronic pain conditions, similar observations have been made regarding changes in structure and function within the brains of patients. We discuss these observations within the framework of the current definition of a disease.

Perspective: Neuroimaging studies have made a significant scientific impact in the study of pain. Knowledge of nociceptive processing in the noninjured and injured central nervous system has grown considerably over the past 2 decades. This review examines the information from these functional, structural, and molecular studies within the framework of a disease state.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in