Chronic back pain causes brain shrinkage

[larkspur]

I found this article (http://www.northwestern.edu/univ-relations/media_relations/releases/2004/11/chronic.html) very interesting.

http://www.northwestern.edu/univ-relations/media_relations/releases/2004/11/chronic.html

[Mk]

I didn't catch a mechanism of why that might happen.

[larkspur]

I didn't catch a mechanism of why that might happen.
Here is one hypothesis that was stated:
“Given that, by definition, chronic pain is a state of continuous persistent perception with associated negative affect and stress, one mechanistic explanation for the decreased gray matter is overuse atrophy caused by excitotoxic and inflammatory mechanisms,” Apkarian said."

[Mk]

I have no idea what that red part means. He's saying parts of the guys' brains were overused?

[larkspur]

I have no idea what that red part means. He's saying parts of the guys' brains were overused?
atrophy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_atrophy)
excitotoxins (http://www.biochem.northwestern.edu/holmgren/Glossary/Definitions/Def-E/excitotoxins.html)

Parts of the brain were chronically stimulated by the pain. This caused the production of the excitotoxins -----> inflammatory response-----> loss of brain cells.