Chronic Back Pain Rewires Sound Perception—Therapy Can Quiet the Brain
Chronic back pain is linked to amplified brain responses to everyday sounds, with heightened activity in higher-level sound and emotion regions (auditory cortex and insula) and reduced engagement of the prefrontal control center. A randomized trial found Pain Reprocessing Therapy most effectively dampens these responses and improves regulation of unpleasant sounds, supporting the idea that chronic back pain involves brain-based amplification and can be treated with psychological approaches.
