Brain structure, psychosocial, and physical health in acute and chronic back pain: a UK Biobank study. Issue 7 (26th July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tagliaferri, Scott D.; Fitzgibbon, Bernadette M.; Owen, Patrick J.; Miller, Clint T.; Bowe, Steven J.; Belavy, Daniel L.
• Is Part Of: Pain. Volume 163:Issue 7(2022)
• Page Start: 1277
• Page End: 1290
• Publication Date: 2022-07-26
• Subjects: UK Biobank -- Spine -- Biopsychosocial -- Spinal; Pain -- Periodicals; Douleur -- Périodiques; Anesthésie -- Périodiques; Pain; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.0472
• DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002524
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0304-3959

Abstract

Abstract : Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Differences in physical and psychosocial health and region-specific brain gray matter volumes may exist depending on whether back pain is acute or chronic and localised or widespread. Abstract: Brain structure, psychosocial, and physical factors underpin back pain conditions; however, less is known about how these factors differ based on pain duration and location. We examined, cross-sectionally, 11, 106 individuals from the UK Biobank who (1) were pain-free (n = 5616), (2) had acute back pain (n = 1746), (3) had chronic localised back pain (CBP; n = 1872), or (4) had chronic back pain and additional chronic pain sites (CWP; n = 1872). We found differences in structural brain measures in the chronic pain groups alone. Both CBP and CWP groups had lower primary somatosensory cortex {CBP mean difference (MD) (95% confidence interval [CI]): −250 (−393, −107) mm 3, P < 0.001; CWP: −170 (−313, −27)mm 3, P = 0.011} and higher caudate gray matter volumes (CBP: 127 [38, 216]mm 3, P = 0.001; CWP: 122 [33, 210]mm 3, P = 0.002) compared with pain-free controls. The CBP group also had a lower primary motor cortex volume (−215 [−382, −50]mm 3, P = 0.005), whereas the CWP group had a lower amygdala gray matter volume (−27 [−52, −3]mm 3, P = 0.021) compared with pain-free controls. Differences in gray matter volumes in some regions may be moderated by sex and body mass index. Psychosocial factors and body mass index differed between all groups and affected those with widespread pain the most (all, P < 0.001), whereas grip strength was only compromised in individuals with widespread pain (−1.0 [−1.4, −0.5] kg, P < 0.001) compared with pain-free controls. Longitudinal research is necessary to confirm these interactions to determine the process of pain development in relation to assessed variables and covariates. However, our results suggest that categorised pain duration and the number of pain sites warrant consideration when assessing markers of brain structure, psychosocial, and physical health.