Changes of the Functional Organization of the Somatosensory Cortex in Chronic Pain Patients

Abstract

Does the persistent noxious stimulation experienced by patients suffering from chronic back pain lead to cortical reorganization? Previous research has shown that changes in sensory inputs lead to changes in the cortical representation of the relevant somatic structures. Cessation of peripheral input leads to the reduction in size of the cortical representation of the corresponding area, while adjacent cortical areas expand [1]. If a body part is used extensively, however, the corresponding representation in somatosensory cortex expands [2]. Chronic pain patients have experienced years of persistent noxious stimulation in the lumbar region. Cortical reogranization should thus be present in an area of the somatosensory cortex that represents the back, but not in unrelated areas of somatosensory cortex, such as those representing the finger.