What structural changes in the brain have been observed in successful patients following Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) aimed at managing pain?
Answer
Increases in gray matter volume in sensory and motor areas
Successful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is associated with measurable neuroplastic changes, including alterations in functional connectivity between pain management regions and observable increases in gray matter volume within sensory and motor areas of the brain.
Related Questions
What process converts a noxious stimulus, like intense heat, into an electrical signal at the peripheral nerve endings?Which nociceptor fibers are characterized by having unmyelinated axons, resulting in slower conduction speed?What is the spinal cord phenomenon characterized by temporal summation, where a neuron's response grows larger with repetitive low-frequency input to C-fibers?Which brain regions are primarily implicated in processing the affective (unpleasantness) and cognitive-evaluative dimensions of pain experience?What crucial mechanism underlying chronic pain involves the nervous system's ability to change its structure and function, often leading to hypersensitivity?What system's chronic dysregulation, often due to stress or trauma, can lead to peripheral sensitization by activating immune cells near sensory nerve endings?Which ion channel is identified as a key component in converting noxious thermal energy (heat) into an electrical signal sent toward the CNS?According to the Gate Control Theory, which type of input helps to close the spinal 'gate' and suppress the flow of pain signals?In neuropathic pain, what common characteristic makes management challenging compared to acute pain responsive to traditional medications?What structural changes in the brain have been observed in successful patients following Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) aimed at managing pain?