New Publication Sheds Light on Fibromyalgia

A recent study investigated how the brains of individuals with fibromyalgia respond differently to those without the condition. Using brain imaging and a analysis method to see how fibromyalgia affects brain activity during pain stimulation, researchers, including Roland Staud found that individuals with fibromyalgia exhibited more brain activity and body stress response as a reaction to pain compared to individuals without it, suggesting that people who suffer from fibromyalgia may have brains that are in a state of hypervigilance, hinting as to why they may experience pain more intensely.
The article, “Evidence of a persistent altered neural state in people with fibromyalgia syndrome during functional MRI studies and its relationship with pain and anxiety” has been published in PLOS One!
Why Do I Feel Pain When I Get a Scrape?

“How come you feel pain when you fall and get a scrape?”
Yenisel Cruz-Almeida recently authored an article on The Conversation US which answers this exact question!
Check it out here!
Makhoul Leads Discussion on AI in Pain

Melissa Makhoul led January’s Pain and Aging Journal Club on the article, “Twelve-month results for a randomized sham-controlled effectiveness trial of an in-home skills-based virtual reality program for chronic low back pain”, which focused on the use of VR technology to help individuals manage their chronic low back pain! Discussions addressed the technology itself as well as opportunities towards future applications in research and chronic pain care!