Pain chronification could be related to pre-existing structural abnormalities in the brain

Structural properties of the white matter of the brain might determine an individual's propensity to develop chronic pain, new research indicates. Using diffusion tensor imaging, Mansour et al. found that patients who experienced persistent pain after a single episode of subacute back pain (SBP) showed different patterns of white matter structural connectivity from patients in whom the pain resolved. The authors speculate that the structural differences probably preceded the SBP episode.