Effects of Alterations in Resting-State Neural Networks on the Severity of Neuropathic Pain after Spinal Cord Injury

This study investigates the brain regions involved in maintaining a resting state and their connection to the severity of neuropathic pain (NP) in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). The research uses resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyze brain activity and graph theory to understand the connections between different brain regions. The study found that the severity of neuropathic pain is associated with changes in brain activity, particularly in the middle frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus.

• 1
  Patients with moderate to severe neuropathic pain showed reduced node degree and fALFF (fractional Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuation) in the left middle frontal gyrus compared to those with mild pain and healthy controls.
• 2
  Patients with severe neuropathic pain demonstrated increased average path lengths and reduced fALFF values in the posterior cingulate gyrus.
• 3
  Changes in intrinsic oscillations of fMRI signals in the middle frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus were significant when considering the severity of neuropathic pain.