Veterans experience chronic pain more frequently than civilians. Identification of neurobiological mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of chronic pain in a veteran population may aid in the development of novel treatment targets. In this pilot proof-of-concept study, veterans with chronic pain (N = 61) and no chronic pain (N = 19) completed clinical interviews, self-report questionnaires inquiring about pain history, interference of pain with daily life, and pain catastrophizing, as well as measures of depressive and anxious symptoms. Veterans also underwent single-voxel proton (1H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 3 Tesla in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) using a two-dimensional (2D) J-resolved point spectroscopy sequence. We found no group difference in neurometabolites between veterans with and without chronic pain; however, pain intensity, negative thinking about pain, and description of pain in affective terms were associated with lower GABA/Cre in the ACC. In addition, the Glu/GABA ratio in the ACC was positively associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms in veterans with chronic pain. Reductions in GABA in the ACC may contribute to increased pain intensity and greater pain catastrophizing in veterans with chronic pain. Furthermore, a disturbance in the excitatory-inhibitory balance may contribute to the anxious and depressive symptoms related to chronic pain. Given the pilot nature of the study, these findings must be considered preliminary.

中文翻译：

---

γ-氨基丁酸、谷氨酸和谷氨酰胺的探索性质子 MRS 检查及其与慢性疼痛影响方面的关系

退伍军人比平民更频繁地经历慢性疼痛。确定退伍军人慢性疼痛病理生理学背后的神经生物学机制可能有助于开发新的治疗目标。在这项试点概念验证研究中，患有慢性疼痛 (N = 61) 和无慢性疼痛 (N = 19) 的退伍军人完成了临床访谈、询问疼痛史、疼痛对日常生活的干扰和疼痛的自我报告问卷灾难性的，以及抑郁和焦虑症状的措施。退伍军人还使用二维 (2D) J 分辨点光谱序列在前扣带皮层 (ACC) 中以 3 特斯拉进行了单体素质子 (1H) 磁共振波谱 (MRS)。我们发现有和没有慢性疼痛的退伍军人之间的神经代谢物没有组差异；然而，疼痛强度、对疼痛的消极想法以及用情感术语描述疼痛与 ACC 中较低的 GABA/Cre 相关。此外，ACC 中的 Glu/GABA 比率与慢性疼痛退伍军人的焦虑和抑郁症状呈正相关。ACC 中 GABA 的减少可能导致慢性疼痛退伍军人的疼痛强度增加和更大的疼痛灾难。此外，兴奋-抑制平衡的紊乱可能导致与慢性疼痛相关的焦虑和抑郁症状。鉴于该研究的试点性质，这些发现必须被视为初步的。ACC 中的 Glu/GABA 比率与慢性疼痛退伍军人的焦虑和抑郁症状呈正相关。ACC 中 GABA 的减少可能导致慢性疼痛退伍军人的疼痛强度增加和更大的疼痛灾难。此外，兴奋-抑制平衡的紊乱可能导致与慢性疼痛相关的焦虑和抑郁症状。鉴于该研究的试点性质，这些发现必须被视为初步的。ACC 中的 Glu/GABA 比率与慢性疼痛退伍军人的焦虑和抑郁症状呈正相关。ACC 中 GABA 的减少可能导致慢性疼痛退伍军人的疼痛强度增加和更大的疼痛灾难。此外，兴奋-抑制平衡的紊乱可能导致与慢性疼痛相关的焦虑和抑郁症状。鉴于该研究的试点性质，这些发现必须被视为初步的。