A systematic review of brain health in adults with chronic pain
Authors' conclusion
Adults with chronic pain exhibit widespread alterations in brain health compared with healthy controls.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with chronic pain (>30 distinct pain phenotypes); studies in MEDLINE and Embase365 studies
- Comparison
- Adults with chronic pain vs healthy controls
- Outcome
- Neuroimaging, clinical, biological, cognitive or mental health outcomes (brain health)
Methodological detailsrisk of bias assessment, 5805 studies identified, 365 included
- Risk of bias assessment
- 5805 studies identified, 365 included
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Brain health in chronic pain vs healthy controls
- Lower grey matter volumes and reduced fractional anisotropy
- Evidence of accelerated brain ageing including older brain age and higher white matter hyperintensities
- Mixed results in resting state functional connectivity
- Increased power densities and connectivity on EEG
- Higher levels of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor
- Most consistently affected regions on MRI: insula, anterior and posterior cingulate, thalamus, hippocampus, primary motor cortex, cerebellum
- Most studies cross-sectional, small samples, moderate to high risk of bias
- MRI most common method for assessing brain health
Original publication
A systematic review of brain health in adults with chronic pain. Anaesthesia. Published 14 October 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →