Everyone's pain is unique: A new research shows that individuals in pain have unique brain scans

When people say that "everyone experiences pain differently", it's not just a phrase.

Apparently, our brains create unique brain patterns that can be seen on scans, claims the newest research.

Let's find out more.

A research

New research reveals unique 'pain fingerprints' in the brain, varying among individuals. 

The University of Essex and Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich collaborated on a study, finding diverse gamma oscillations associated with pain and touch in brain scans. 

Previous research overlooked individual differences, treating them as 'noise.' Dr. Elia Valentini discovered major variations in timing, frequency, and location of gamma oscillations, with some showing no waves. 

The stable individual response pattern, identified across time, may help identify personalized pain fingerprints. 

Your pain is actually unique

The study, published in the Journal of Neurophysiology, mapped patterns in participants from another lab, suggesting replicability. 

This remarkable stability was observed in gamma waves, generating similar individual patterns when stimulated. 

The reasons for variations are still unknown, prompting further research. 

Dr. Valentini urges a reassessment of past findings, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of gamma oscillations' role in pain perception. 

The study's impact may extend to measuring gamma oscillations in other sensory domains.
 

• Related news:
• brain
• health
• research
• pain
• 27 June 2023

---