Neuroimaging makes it possible to study pain processing beyond the peripheral nervous system, at the supraspinal level, in a safe, noninvasive way, without interfering with neurophysiological processes. In recent years, studies using brain imaging methods have contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the development and maintenance of chronic pain. Moreover, neuroimaging shows promising results for analgesic drug development and in characterizing different types of pain, bringing us closer to development of mechanism-based diagnoses and treatments for the chronic pain patient.

中文翻译：

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神经影像学作为疼痛诊断和镇痛发展的工具。

神经影像学可以在不干扰神经生理过程的情况下，以安全、无创的方式在脊髓上水平研究外周神经系统以外的疼痛处理。近年来，使用脑成像方法的研究有助于我们了解导致慢性疼痛发展和维持的机制。此外，神经影像学在镇痛药物开发和表征不同类型的疼痛方面显示出有希望的结果，使我们更接近于为慢性疼痛患者开发基于机制的诊断和治疗。