Beyond Joints: Psychoradiology & MSK Pain
Nanfang Pan1, Yajing Long1, and Qiyong Gong1
1Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Radiology Dept., West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

Synopsis

Keywords: Neuro: Brain Plasticity, Neuro: Brain connectivity, Neuro: Brain function

Structural and functional brain alterations caused by MSK pain might be the risk factors for psychiatric disorders

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is defined as acute or chronic pain that affects bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and even nerves. It is one of the most costly and prevalent sources of human suffering. MSK pain is highly comorbid with psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder, and their comorbid conditions play a significant role in greater disability and mortality associated with chronic MSK pain. Recent researches supported a strong bidirectional link between MSK pain and psychiatric disorders—pre-morbid psychosocial dysfunction represents a robust predictor of future development of chronic MSK pain, while long-term persistent pain confers a substantially increased vulnerability to mental illness. Neuroimaging studies found that MSK pain may induce dysfunctional brain network associated with pain inhibition and mood regulation, and nociception correlates with disruption of the limbic network and sensorimotor network may be the shared pathologies for MSK pain and the related psychiatric disorders. Therefore, brain alterations caused by MSK pain might be the risk factors for psychiatric disorders. Further prospective studies are needed to explore the brain imaging changes of psychiatric illness caused by MSK pain and to better understand the critical mechanism of comorbidities.

Acknowledgements

No acknowledgement found.

References

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Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 31 (2023)