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Pain tires the brain
There’s no rest for the brains of those who suffer from chronic pain. American researchers have in fact put their finger on a previously unknown cerebral phenomenon: permanent physical suffering (ie 24 hours a day) appears to lead to neuronal hyperactivity and hyper-demand on the brain. This may offer a way forward in finding an effective strategy against pain.
In his conclusions, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Dr Dante Chialvo of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, points out that “the neuronal hyperactivity observed in those suffering from chronic pain pushes the neurons to the point of exhaustion”.
Hence, it would seem the sleeping problems, the state of depression and the anxiety that affect the lives of these patients. As Dr Chialvo sees it, “it will be essential to take this new finding into account when treating pain. Controlling it should no longer be the only priority. It is also important to prevent any possible cerebral changes that may result from this suffering”.
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