Chronic Back Pain Tied to Auditory Hypersensitivity
Pain reprocessing therapy produced small but measurable reductions in cross-modal sensory amplification, pointing to a broader neurological signature of chronic back pain than previously recognized.
A randomized controlled trial published in Annals of Neurology found that adults with chronic back pain (CBP) rated aversive sounds as more unpleasant than pain-free controls. Conducted at the University of Colorado Boulder, the study involved 142 adults with CBP and 51 controls, highlighting a significant auditory hyperresponsivity in CBP patients. It also demonstrated that pain reprocessing therapy (PRT) can reduce auditory unpleasantness and modify neural responses in those with chronic pain, suggesting sensory amplification can be modified with psychological intervention.
1. Adults with chronic back pain rate aversive sounds worse than controls. 2. Study involved 142 patients and 51 controls. 3. Pain reprocessing therapy effectively reduces auditory unpleasantness. 4. Neuroimaging showed greater responses in chronic pain patients. 5. Findings suggest sensory amplification can be treated.
