Spontaneous back-pain alters randomness in functional connections in large scale brain networks: A random matrix perspective

Gurpreet S Matharoo,Javeria A Hashmi

doi:10.1016/j.physa.2019.123321

Abstract

We use randomness as a measure to assess the impact of evoked pain on brain networks. Randomness is defined here as the intrinsic correlations that exist between different brain regions when the brain is in a task-free state. We use fMRI data of three brain states in a set of back pain patients monitored over a period of 6 months. We find that randomness in the task-free state closely follows the predictions of Gaussian orthogonal ensemble of random matrices. However, the randomness decreases when the brain is engaged in attending to painful inputs in patients suffering with early stages of back pain. A persistence of this pattern is observed in the patients that develop chronic back pain, while the patients who recover from pain after six months, the randomness no longer varies with the pain task. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of random matrix theory in differentiating between resting state and two distinct task states within the same patient. Further, it demonstrates that random matrix theory is effective in measuring systematic changes occurring in functional connectivity and offers new insights on how acute and chronic pain are processed in the brain at a network level.

Highlights

Chronic pain represents a major clinical, social, and economic problem for societies worldwide
It demonstrates that random matrix theory is effective in measuring systematic changes occurring in functional connectivity and offers new insights on how acute and chronic pain are processed in the brain at a network level
We report the spectral statistics fluctuation properties of the eigenvalue spectra in the three brain states in individuals who were suffering with SBP

Summary

Introduction

Chronic pain represents a major clinical, social, and economic problem for societies worldwide. Pain is in essence a threat signal that we localize to a part of the body in the form of an unpleasant sensation This sensation accompanies a strong negative emotion that works as an aversive signal which is necessary for learning proper avoidance behaviors. In some people, this signal becomes accentuated and tends to persist for long periods of times extending over months to years. This signal becomes accentuated and tends to persist for long periods of times extending over months to years These individuals very often show no signs of tissue damage or underlying pathology in the site where they are feeling pain. An expedient approach for understanding these maladaptive processes is to observe how back pain transitions to a chronic form

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