Researchers identify dedicated brain circuit fueling chronic pain

Stanford researchers mapped a previously unknown brain circuit that specifically drives chronic pain after injury. Turning off this circuit stopped exaggerated responses to gentle touch in mice and reduced chronic pain without affecting acute pain, while activating it induced lasting pain sensitivity. The circuit forms a loop from the spinal cord through the thalamus, cortex, and brainstem back to the spinal cord, suggesting two separate networks for chronic and protective acute pain and pointing to targeted therapies that block chronic pain signals while preserving normal pain responses; human data is being explored to confirm applicability in people.