Brain Mechanisms of Chronic Pain in Children and Teens Aged 10 to 17 Years Using MRI and Sensory Testing to Study Pain and Recovery

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to understand the brain mechanisms behind chronic pain in children and teenagers aged 10 to 17. It focuses on four types of chronic pain migraine, complex regional pain syndrome, functional abdominal pain, and musculoskeletal pain. The study seeks to find shared and unique brain systems involved in these conditions, identify predictors of recovery, and explore how pain spreads over time. Participants will undergo brain imaging using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging fMRI, quantitative sensory testing, and psychological assessments. The study includes five groups healthy controls without chronic pain and four groups with different chronic pain syndromes. Researchers will follow participants for one year after treatment begins to observe recovery and pain changes. Throughout the study, participants will complete various brain scans and sensory tests at the start and at one-year follow-up. Pain ratings and the spatial distribution of pain will be recorded at both times. This approach helps researchers measure brain activity related to pain and track changes over time. The total participation lasts one year, with assessments designed to better understand pediatric chronic pain and support future treatments.

Supraspinal Processing of Sensory Aspects of Pain