NeuroImage
-
A proposed mechanism of chronic pain is dysregulation between the main inhibitory (GABA) and excitatory (glutamate) neurometabolites of the central nervous system. The level of these neurometabolites appears to differ in individual studies of people with pain compared to pain-free controls across different pain conditions. However, this has yet to be systematically investigated. ⋯ These results support the theory that underlying neurometabolite levels may be unique in different pain conditions and therefore representative of biomarkers for specific pain conditions.