Functional connectivity is associated with altered brain chemistry in women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain

In contrast to women with relatively asymptomatic endometriosis, women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain (CPP) exhibit non-pelvic hyperalgesia and decreased gray matter volume in key neural pain processing regions. While these findings suggest central pain amplification in endometriosis-associated CPP, the underlying changes in brain chemistry and function associated with central pain amplification remain unknown. We performed proton spectroscopy and seed-based resting functional connectivity MRI to determine whether women with endometriosis display differences in insula excitatory neurotransmitter concentrations or intrinsic brain connectivity to other pain-related brain regions.

from The Journal of Pain http://ift.tt/1FTFidl
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