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Progress in magnetic resonance imaging studies of the descending pain modulation system in patients with chronic pain
ZHOU Huiling  LEI Ting  CHEN Li  DU Yong 

Cite this article as: ZHOU H L, LEI T, CHEN L, et al. Progress in magnetic resonance imaging studies of the descending pain modulation system in patients with chronic pain[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2024, 15(8): 189-193. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2024.08.030.


[Abstract] Chronic pain is a complex experience that significantly burdens both patients and society. Research on the neural mechanisms of chronic pain typically focus on the areas related to the perception and control of pain. However, there is often less attention to the structural and functional changes in the brain regions associated with the descending pain modulation system. These areas play key roles in both inhibiting and facilitating pain perception. This article reviews the latest MRI research progress on the structural and functional changes in the descending pain modulation system in patients with chronic pain, aiming to explore the physiological and pathological mechanisms of DPMS and further deepen the understanding of chronic pain.
[Keywords] chronic pain；descending pain modulation system；structural magnetic resonance imaging；functional magnetic resonance imaging；diffusion magnetic resonance imaging；magnetic resonance imaging

ZHOU Huiling   LEI Ting   CHEN Li   DU Yong*  

Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China

Corresponding author: DU Y, E-mail: yongdu2005@163.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2024-03-25
Accepted  2024-08-08
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2024.08.030
Cite this article as: ZHOU H L, LEI T, CHEN L, et al. Progress in magnetic resonance imaging studies of the descending pain modulation system in patients with chronic pain[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2024, 15(8): 189-193. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2024.08.030.

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