Medical Chronic back pain causes brain shrinkage

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The discussion centers on the relationship between chronic pain and brain structure, particularly the loss of gray matter. A hypothesis presented suggests that chronic pain leads to continuous stimulation of certain brain areas, resulting in overuse atrophy. This process is linked to excitotoxicity and inflammation, where excessive stimulation causes the release of excitotoxins, triggering an inflammatory response that ultimately results in the loss of brain cells. The mechanism implies that the brain regions associated with pain perception may undergo structural changes due to the persistent nature of chronic pain.
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I didn't catch a mechanism of why that might happen.
 
Mk said:
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."
 
I have no idea what that red part means. He's saying parts of the guys' brains were overused?
 
Mk said:
I have no idea what that red part means. He's saying parts of the guys' brains were overused?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_atrophy"
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.
 
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